Cessna 172 accident near Hobe Sound, Florida, November 16, 2010
On November 16, 2010 at about 2:40 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N8306B, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Hobe Sound, Florida. It was a personal 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
A partial loss of engine power due to fuel contamination in the carburetor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 16, 2010 · about 2:40 pm local time
- Place
- Hobe Sound, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N8306B · registry record · serial 36106
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, about 20 minutes into the flight, the engine began to lose power. He was able to keep the engine running using the fuel primer knob; however he could not maintain the airplane's altitude. The pilot then performed a forced landing into an orange grove and the airplane nosed over in the soft terrain, resulting in substantial damage to the wings. Two inspectors from the Federal Aviation Administration examined the airplane and engine. The carburetor was disassembled and a thick, black and brown, slime-like substance was found in the carburetor bowl, blocking the fuel channel and drain plug. The origin of the contamination was not determined.
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
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
- Fuel contamination during enroute (cruise) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid condition
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 30,000 hours in all; 2,000 in this make and model; 12 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: August 1, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,485 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 16, 2010; 11 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-300 SER (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FD15 Jupiter FL at 2:15 pm
- Destination: CRG Jacksonville FL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 29.96 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 pm from PBI, 25 miles away
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.
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.