Cessna 172 accident near Fort Lauderdale, Florida, December 24, 2018
On December 24, 2018 at about 6:44 pm local time, a 1978 Cessna 172, registered N3015E, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Fort Lauderdale, Florida. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were 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 due to the fatigue fracture of the No. 2 exhaust rocker arm stud.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 24, 2018 · about 6:44 pm local time
- Place
- Fort Lauderdale, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 N, built 1978 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N3015E · registry record · serial 17271404
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the flight instructor, he and a student pilot were conducting a local, instructional flight. The instructor reported that, while flying about 800 ft above a shoreline, the engine started to vibrate, and it then lost all power. He tried to restart the engine twice to no avail. On the third attempt, the engine started, but it would not produce more than 1,200 rpm. The instructor saw people on the beach and decided to land on the water. When the main landing gear touched down on the water, the airplane immediately flipped over, which resulted in substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer and rudder. Examination of the engine revealed that the No. 2 exhaust rocker arm stud was fractured. Metallurgical examination of the fracture surfaces on the rocker arm stud revealed that it had fractured due to fatigue. The fatigue fracture of the No. 2 exhaust rocker arm stud likely led to the 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
- Powerplant sys/comp malf/fail during enroute
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery during enroute
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
- Ditching during landing
- Roll over during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip eng cyl section › Fatigue/wear/corrosion
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip eng cyl section › Failure
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,580.5 hours in all; 1,500 in this make and model; 1,567.4 as pilot in command; 1,147.6 on instruments
- Last flight review: November 13, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,295 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, December 19, 2018; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,299 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 SERIES (piston); 5,295 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FXE Fort Lauderdale FL at 5:30 pm
- Destination: FXE Fort Lauderdale FL
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 4,200 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.10 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from KOPF, 9 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
9 documents, released by the NTSB on October 1, 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, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Memorandum for Record – Telephone Interview, Flight Instructor | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Student Pilot Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Owners Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Materials Laboratory Factual Report | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Maintenance Records | PDF, 6 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Investigative Photos | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 8 | Evidence Control Form | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 9 | 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 N3015E 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.