Cessna 172N accident near Miami Beach, Florida, October 11, 2015
On October 11, 2015 at about 7:37 pm local time, a 1977 Cessna 172N, registered N733VB, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Miami Beach, Florida. It was a personal 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 the airplane was not recovered from the ocean after the ditching.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 11, 2015 · about 7:37 pm local time
- Place
- Miami Beach, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N, built 1977 · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N733VB · no longer on the register · serial 17268573
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot reported that, while en route at an altitude of about 3,500 ft mean sea level about 20 miles off the coast of Florida over the Atlantic Ocean, the airplane experienced a “partial loss of power followed by a complete engine failure.” He was unable to restore power and decided to glide as close to the coastline as possible. He ditched the airplane about 11 miles from the shore. The airplane was not recovered, which precluded a postaccident examination. Thus, the reason for the loss of engine power could not be determined.
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 enroute defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Ditching during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 205 hours in all; 185 in this make and model; 60 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 152 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 19, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,473 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 11, 2015; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,299 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 3,472 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HWO Hollywood FL at 7:13 pm
- Destination: MYBS South Bimini
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; a few clouds at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 29.85 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from MIA, 21 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.
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.