Cessna 172N accident near Geneva, Florida, May 18, 2013
On May 18, 2013 at about 9:50 pm local time, a Cessna 172N, registered N4702F, was involved in an accident during standing (engine(s) operating) near Geneva, Florida (Southerland Strip Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The passenger’s failure to adhere to the pilot’s instructions to stay away from the front of the airplane when the engine was operating.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 18, 2013 · about 9:50 pm local time · cases in 2013
- Place
- Geneva, Florida · Southerland Strip Airport · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N4702F · registry record · serial 17273074
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot had previously flown two passengers on separate flights. They reported that the pilot briefed them that they were to enter and exit the airplane at all times from the right rear and that, at no time, should they be near or in front of the airplane while the engine was operating. A third passenger boarded the airplane from the right rear, and the flight departed for a local flight. The pilot reported that, after landing and with the engine still running, he briefed the passenger to deplane to the rear. The passenger exited the airplane and closed the door. However, instead of walking to the rear as instructed, she cleared the right wing lift strut and walked forward. The pilot yelled to her to stop but not before the propeller contacted her arm, causing a serious injury.
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
- AC/prop/rotor contact w person during standing (engine(s) operating) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › (general) › (general) › Passenger
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,500 hours in all; 1,200 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 1,500 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 9, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,740 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 16, 2012
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming 0-320-H2AD (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FD92 Geneva FL at 9:40 pm
- Destination: FD92 Geneva FL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 100° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 pm from SFB, 9 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
5 documents, released by the NTSB on June 3, 2013. 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 | Weather Reports and Records | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | FAA Inspector Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | FAA Record of Interviews | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Record of Interview with Pilot-in-command | 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
- N4702F on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Cessna 172 Skyhawk 20,692 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Cessna 72,677 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Lycoming 0-320-H2AD 83 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Southerland Strip · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Florida 6,111 since 1982 · 984 in the last ten years
- Florida 21,709 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/ERA13LA248.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.