Cessna 172P accident near Valparaiso, Florida, February 18, 2013
On February 18, 2013 at about 7:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172P, registered N98598, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Valparaiso, Florida (Eglin Air Force Base airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were 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 control of the airplane while landing in gusting wind conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 18, 2013 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Valparaiso, Florida · Eglin Air Force Base · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172P · all 172Ps on the register
- Registration
- N98598 · no longer on the register · serial 17276320
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Following a brief local flight, the pilot entered the traffic pattern at his home airport. While on final approach to the runway, the pilot noted a gusting crosswind and elected to approach the runway at an airspeed of 70 knots, instead of the typical 60 knots. The airplane touched down on the runway, ballooned to a height of about 10 feet, then bounced twice more before it settled onto the runway. The pilot taxied off the runway and shut down the engine. During the accident sequence, the airplane’s firewall was substantially damaged. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The reported wind at the airport about the time of the accident was a left quartering headwind at 15 knots, with gusts to 20 knots.
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
- Hard landing during landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 338 hours in all; 36 in this make and model; 13 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 289 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 13, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,291 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, December 2, 2012
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Eglin Afb Aero Club
The flight
- Departed from: VPS Valparaiso FL at 7:17 pm
- Destination: VPS Valparaiso FL
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 19, 10,012 ft by 300 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 15 knots, gusting 19
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.29 inHg
- Observation at 6:55 pm from KVPS
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.