Cessna 172S accident near Clearwater, Florida, June 19, 2013
On June 19, 2013 at about 2:00 pm local time, a Cessna 172S, registered N426SJ, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR pattern final) near Clearwater, Florida (St Petersburg-Clearwater Intl 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
A total loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined because neither postaccident visual examinations nor test runs of the engine revealed any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 19, 2013 · about 2:00 pm local time · cases in 2013
- Place
- Clearwater, Florida · St Petersburg-Clearwater Intl · 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 172S · all 172Ss on the register
- Registration
- N426SJ · registry record · serial 172S8426
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was practicing touch-and-go takeoff and landings. While on the final leg of the traffic pattern for a second landing, the pilot realized that the airspeed was slow and added engine power. The engine did not respond, and, it subsequently experienced a total loss of power. After attempting to restart the engine, the pilot configured the airplane for its best glide speed and chose to land in the grass short of the runway. The airplane touched down in the grass and traveled over the airport perimeter road before coming to rest. Fuel samples obtained from the airplane immediately following the accident revealed no evidence of contamination. Neither postaccident visual examinations nor test runs of the engine revealed any anomalies 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 engine power (total) during approach (VFR pattern final) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 183 hours in all; 183 in this make and model; 89 in the last 90 days; 57 in the last 30 days; 105 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 21, 2013
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,450 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, March 20, 2013
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO360 SER A&C (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Cams Flight INC
The flight
- Departed from: PIE Clearwater FL at 1:30 pm
- Destination: PIE Clearwater FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 22, 5,903 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 2,400 ft
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 30.03 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 pm from KPIE, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on October 31, 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 | Memorandum for Record - FAA Inspector | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Photo 1 - Wrinkling of Fuselage Skin (Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Photo 2 - Damage to Empennage and Vertical Stabilizer (Courtesy of FAA) | 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.
Other NTSB records under N426SJ the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N426SJ on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Cessna 172 Skyhawk 20,693 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Cessna 72,678 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Lycoming IO360 SER A&C 8,560 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- St. Pete-Clearwater International · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Florida 6,111 since 1982 · 984 in the last ten years
- Florida 21,704 aircraft registered
- Other NTSB records under N426SJ 1 records · the number may have belonged to another aircraft at the time
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/ERA13LA291.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.