Cessna 172 accident near Key Biscayne, Florida, July 14, 2017
On July 14, 2017 at about 3:20 am local time, a 1976 Cessna 172, registered N80457, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Key Biscayne, Florida. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The nearly complete blockage of the right fuel tank strainer with organic material, which resulted in fuel starvation and the subsequent total loss of engine power. Contributing to the fuel starvation was the pilot receiving instruction’s and the flight instructor’s failure to identify that the fuel was burning unevenly during the flight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 14, 2017 · about 3:20 am local time
- Place
- Key Biscayne, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 M, built 1976 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N80457 · no longer on the register · serial 17266596
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor stated that, during the preflight inspection, he visually inspected both fuel tanks and checked the fuel level using a dipstick and that each tank contained about 15 gallons. Subsequently, the flight instructor and private pilot receiving instruction departed for an instrument training flight with the fuel selector positioned to the "both" position. The pilots flew to two different airports to practice instrument approaches and holding. About 2 hours 25 minutes after the airplane originally departed, the flight instructor chose to return to the departure airport. The instructor stated that, while east of the airport, the engine "sputtered" for about 2 to 3 seconds and then lost all power; the engine rpm then increased briefly to 1,500, followed by the loss of all engine power again. The pilot reported that, at that time, the left and right fuel gauges were in the lower red arc between 1/4 and 1/2 capacity, respectively. The pilots attempted to restore engine power by moving the fuel selector to each fuel tank position and checking the magnetos in each respective position to no avail. The instructor maneuvered the airplane for a forced landing on a road, during which it collided with trees and a light pole before landing hard. During postaccident examination of the airplane, less than 1 gallon of fuel was drained from the left fuel tank, and about 10 gallons of fuel were drained from the right fuel tank; the tanks were not breached, and no evidence of leakage was found. Further examination of the right fuel tank supply system revealed that the strainer was nearly completely blocked by organic material, which prevented the remaining fuel in the right fuel tank from feeding to the engine and likely resulted in the loss of all engine power due to fuel starvation. If either the flight instructor or the pilot had scanned the fuel quantity gauges periodically throughout the flight, they could have noticed the uneven fuel burn and performed a precautionary landing before the engine lost 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
- Miscellaneous/other during enroute
- Fuel starvation during enroute defining event
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute
- Attempted remediation/recovery during enroute
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › Fuel filter › strainer › Inoperative
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
- factor Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of available resources › Student/instructed pilot
- factor Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of available resources › Instructor/check pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Contributed to outcome
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Pole › Contributed to outcome
Flight instructor
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,800 hours in all; 510 in this make and model; 300 in the last 90 days; 75 in the last 30 days; 2,750 as pilot in command; 2,500 on instruments
- Last flight review: July 27, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 164 hours in all; 21 in this make and model; 111 in the last 90 days; 55 in the last 30 days; 127 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 8, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,547.8 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 30, 2017
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 5,548 hours total
- Operator: Dean International, Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: PBI West Palm Beach FL
- Destination: TMB Miami FL
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 100° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; a few clouds at 1,500 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 77°F (25°C)
- Altimeter: 30.07 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 am from MIA, 9 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
5 documents, released by the NTSB on July 15, 2019. 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, 23 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Record of NTSB Conversations | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
| 3 | FAA Inspector Statements | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Investigative Photographs | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | 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 N80457 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
2014-03-14ERA14CA155 · accident near Brooksville, FL · substantial damage · no injuries
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.