Cessna 172 accident near Kissimmee, Florida, August 9, 2015
On August 9, 2015 at about 3:00 pm local time, a 1961 Cessna 172, registered N8370X, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR pattern downwind) near Kissimmee, Florida (Kissimmee Gateway airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot's inadequate preflight inspection of the fuel system, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel contamination.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 9, 2015 · about 3:00 pm local time
- Place
- Kissimmee, Florida · Kissimmee Gateway · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 C, built 1961 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N8370X · no longer on the register · serial 17248870
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot/owner stated that it had rained a lot the week before the accident but that he had sumped the airplane's fuel drains before the flight and found no water or debris. He subsequently began practicing touch-and-go landings. While the airplane was on an extended downwind, the engine stopped producing power. The pilot declared an emergency and attempted a forced landing to the runway. However, the airplane struck a tree and impacted terrain just short of the runway. During a postaccident examination of the engine, an excessive amount of water was found in both fuel tanks and the carburetor. A small amount of rust-colored debris was also noted in the water drained from the carburetor, and two 1/2-inch-thick pieces of rust buildup were noted along the wall of the carburetor bowl. Based on the amount of water found in the fuel system, it is likely that the engine had ingested water and that the student pilot's preflight inspection was inadequate because he failed to detect the water contamination, which resulted in a total loss of engine power.
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
- Preflight or dispatch event during prior to flight
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
- Fuel contamination during approach (VFR pattern downwind) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid condition
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Preflight inspection › Student/instructed pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 120 hours in all; 125 in this make and model; 7 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 45 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,852.2 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 18, 2015; 2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,299 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-300-D (piston); 519 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ISM Kissimmee FL at 2:30 pm
- Destination: ISM Kissimmee FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 33, 6,001 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 350° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,400 ft
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 79°F (26°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observation at 3:07 pm from ISM
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on February 4, 2016. 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 | FAA Inspector's Written Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Photos | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.