Cessna 172 accident near Fort Lauderdale, Florida, October 1, 2016
On October 1, 2016 at about 10:08 pm local time, a 2000 Cessna 172, registered N497SJ, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Fort Lauderdale, Florida (Fort Lauderdale Executive airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s improper landing flare in gusting crosswind conditions, which resulted in a nose landing gear collapse.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 1, 2016 · about 10:08 pm local time
- Place
- Fort Lauderdale, Florida · Fort Lauderdale Executive · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 S, built 2000 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N497SJ · registry record · serial 172S8497
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Shortly after departing on the local flight, the pilot noticed that the engine oil temperature indicated 245°, or redline, and the engine began to run roughly. The pilot contacted air traffic control and requested to return to the airport. The controller cleared the pilot to land and advised of the wind conditions. Upon touchdown, the airplane bounced and came to rest on the runway, resulting in substantial damage. On-scene examination revealed damage consistent with the airplane impacting the runway on the nose landing gear. Examination of the engine revealed that the vernatherm had failed, which would have resulted in elevated engine oil temperature; however, there were no other engine anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The conditions at the time of the accident included a 50° crosswind between 7 and 14 knots. The airplane's published maximum crosswind component was 15 knots. The circumstances of the accident are consistent with the pilot's improper landing flare while landing in gusting, crosswind conditions, which resulted in the nose landing gear contacting the runway and its subsequent collapse.
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
- Powerplant sys/comp malf/fail during enroute (climb to cruise)
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Landing gear collapse during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Powerplant sys/comp malf/fail during approach
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Response/compensation
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip eng oil sys › Failure
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 722 hours in all; 483 in this make and model; 66 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 606 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 3, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,410.8 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, September 23, 2016
- Maximum gross weight: 2,299 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-L2A (piston); 3,038 hours total
- Operator: Fxe Flight Center CORP
The flight
- Departed from: FXE Fort Lauderdale FL at 9:00 pm
- Destination: PGD Punta Gorda FL
- Flight plan: not recorded
- Runway 09, 6,002 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 070° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 10:16 pm from FXE
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
9 documents, released by the NTSB on April 19, 2021. 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, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Excerpt from Cessna 172S POH - Crosswind Landing | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | N497SJ - Kfxe Audio Recording (Approach and Landing) | audio | View Download |
| 5 | Photo Array | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Kfxe - Airport Diagram | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 7 | Memorandum for Record - Airplane and Engine Examinations | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 8 | Post Accident Damage Assessment | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 9 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | 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 N497SJ 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.