Cessna 172S accident near St. Petersburg, Florida, January 29, 2011
On January 29, 2011 at about 3:45 pm local time, a Cessna 172S, registered N6013J, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near St. Petersburg, Florida (Albert Whitten Airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot's failure to maintain directional control while attempting to turn the airplane onto a taxiway after landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 29, 2011 · about 3:45 pm local time
- Place
- St. Petersburg, Florida · Albert Whitten Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172S · all 172Ss on the register
- Registration
- N6013J · registry record · serial 172S10153
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the student pilot, he was on a solo flight practicing touch-and-go takeoffs and landings. On the third approach, as he turned the airplane onto the final leg of the traffic pattern, the tower air traffic controller requested that the pilot complete a full stop landing due to an increased number of aircraft in the airport area. The touchdown and roll out were normal. The pilot subsequently attempted to turn off of the runway onto a taxiway with the airplane traveling too fast. He applied the brakes, yet the airplane proceeded off the side of the taxiway and impacted a pole, resulting in substantial damage to the left wing and fuselage. During a postaccident examination of the wreckage, a Federal Aviation Administration inspector found no anomalies with the airplane that may have contributed to the accident.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Surface speed/braking › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 32 hours in all; 32 in this make and model; 17 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 6 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,462 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, January 26, 2011
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-L2A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Bay Air Flying Service INC
The flight
- Departed from: SPG St. Petersburg FL
- Destination: SPG St. Petersburg FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 2,864 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 30.20 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 pm from SPG
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N6013J the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.