Cessna 172 accident near Winter Haven, Florida, September 24, 2018
On September 24, 2018 at about 1:57 pm local time, a 1956 Cessna 172, registered N6950A, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Winter Haven, Florida (Winter Haven'S Gilbert airport). It was an instructional 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
The student pilot’s improper pitch attitude control during the initial climb, which resulted in a loss of airspeed, and his subsequent decision to conduct a 180° turn following the perceived anomaly, which resulted in a runway overrun.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 24, 2018 · about 1:57 pm local time
- Place
- Winter Haven, Florida · Winter Haven'S Gilbert · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 Undesignat, built 1956 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N6950A · registry record · serial 29050
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot was conducting a supervised solo flight in the airport traffic pattern. Each of the previous two takeoff and landings were uneventful. During the initial climb on the third takeoff, the student observed the airspeed rapidly decrease. He declared an emergency, lowered the nose, and turned the airplane 180° to land on the runway. The airplane overran the end of the runway and impacted a fence, resulting in substantial damage to the windshield and left wing. The student’s instructor witnessed the takeoff and stated that the airplane’s angle of attack was excessively high and that there would have been adequate runway remaining for the student to land straight ahead instead of turning 180°. Postaccident examination of the engine did not reveal any anomalies. It is likely that the student pilot’s excessively nose-high pitch attitude during the takeoff resulted in the observed loss of airspeed.
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 initial climb
- Attempted remediation/recovery during initial climb
- Landing area overshoot during landing defining event
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Identification/recognition › Student/instructed pilot
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Student/instructed pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 27.7 hours in all; 23.7 in this make and model; 21.2 in the last 90 days; 8.5 in the last 30 days; 1.5 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,302.5 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 25, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 2,299 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300 SER (piston); 2,765 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GIF Winter Haven FL at 1:45 pm
- Destination: GIF Winter Haven FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 23, 5,006 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 100° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 30.07 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 pm from GIF
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
5 documents, released by the NTSB on February 28, 2022. 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, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Record of Conversation_flight Instructor | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Record of Conversation_student Pilot | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Memo for Record_flight Instructor | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Photo Array_ Accident Site and Damage | PDF, 3 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.