Cessna 170B accident near Mulberry, Florida, March 8, 2014
On March 8, 2014 at about 4:04 pm local time, a 1952 Cessna 170B, registered N211R, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR pattern final) near Mulberry, Florida (South Lakeland airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the pilot and the parachutist to see and avoid each other, which resulted in the airplane’s wing colliding with the parachute’s suspension lines.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 8, 2014 · about 4:04 pm local time
- Place
- Mulberry, Florida · South Lakeland · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 170B, built 1952 · all 170Bs on the register
- Registration
- N211R · registry record · serial 20672
- 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 the airplane was on final approach for runway 32 about 15 feet above the ground when he observed a parachutist "drop down in front of" him. He maneuvered to avoid the parachutist; however, the airplane's right wing collided with the parachute's suspension lines. The airplane crashed nose-first into the ground, and the parachutist was thrown to the ground. The parachutist reported that he was maneuvering to land at the drop zone and was crossing the approach end of runway 32 about 75 feet above the ground when he first observed the airplane "coming at" him. The pilot was a resident of the fly-in community, and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Airport/Facility Directory noted that parachuting operations were conducted in the vicinity of the airport. Although the airplane had been established in the traffic pattern and the parachutist had the opportunity to observe aircraft operations as he descended, it is apparent that the pilot and the parachutist were unaware of each other's presence until just before the collision. FAA Advisory Circular 90-66A, paragraph 9e, states, "Pilots and parachutists should both be aware of the limited flight performance of parachutes and take steps to avoid any potential conflicts between aircraft and parachute operations." Thus, both the pilot and the parachutist were responsible for being aware of each other's presence and avoiding each other.
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
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during approach (VFR pattern final)
- 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
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of policy/procedure › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of policy/procedure › Other/unknown
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring environment › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring environment › Other/unknown
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 4,600 hours in all; 3,300 in this make and model; 3 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 4,600 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,286 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 9, 2013
- Maximum gross weight: 1,451 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor C145 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: X49 Mulberry FL at 3:45 pm
- Destination: X49 Mulberry FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 32, 3,115 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 060° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,400 ft
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.19 inHg
- Observation at 3:50 pm from LAL, 2 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.
Other NTSB records under N211R the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.