Cessna 172N accident near Belle Glades, Florida, June 15, 2011
On June 15, 2011 at about 10:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172N, registered N4954G, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR pattern final) near Belle Glades, Florida (Belle Glade State Municipal 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 pilot’s failure to maintain airplane control during the landing approach.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 12, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 15, 2011 · about 10:30 pm local time · cases in 2011
- Place
- Belle Glades, Florida · Belle Glade State Municipal · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N4954G · registry record · serial 17273501
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that while conducting flight maneuvers he encountered inclement weather. After electing to divert to a nearby airport, he encountered gusting wind and rain showers in the landing pattern. He was unable to land on his first approach due to a gusting crosswind. After conducting a go-around and reattempting a landing approach, the pilot was unable to align the aircraft due to the wind and attempted a second go-around. However, the gusting wind caused him to lose control of the airplane, which subsequently impacted the ground. During the accident sequence, the airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and firewall. The wind in the vicinity was reported to be 15 knots with gusts of 28 knots. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation.
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 in flight during approach (VFR pattern final) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Effect on operation
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: military, private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 4,992 hours in all; 42 in this make and model; 60 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 3,213 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 13, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,545 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 22, 2011; 86 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Ari Ben Aviator INC
The flight
- Departed from: FPR Fort Pierce FL at 7:47 pm
- Destination: FPR Fort Pierce FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 09, 3,700 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 110° at 15 knots, gusting 28
- Visibility: 1 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,500 ft; scat at 1,300 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 29.96 inHg
- Observation at 10:04 pm from OBE, 35 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
5 documents, released by the NTSB on October 17, 2011. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot Statement | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Reports from Federal Agencies-record of Conversation FAA | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Photo 1- FAA Photo- Right Side of Airplane | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Photo 2-FAA Photo- Buckled Fuselage | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N4954G on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Cessna 172 Skyhawk 20,680 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Cessna 72,684 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 SERIES 27,311 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Belle Glade State Municipal · nearest airport
- Treasure Coast International · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in Florida 6,103 since 1982 · 981 in the last ten years
- Florida 21,712 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/ERA11CA347.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.