Cessna LC41 accident near Apopka, Florida, December 31, 2018
On December 31, 2018 at about 1:25 am local time, a 2008 Cessna LC41, registered N78JE, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR go-around) near Apopka, Florida (Apopka Airport). 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 partial loss of engine power during a go-around for reasons that could not be determined based on the available information, which resulted in a forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 31, 2018 · about 1:25 am local time
- Place
- Apopka, Florida · Apopka Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna LC41 550FG, built 2008 · all LC41s on the register
- Registration
- N78JE · registry record · serial 411030
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, after an uneventful cross-country flight, he observed animals on the runway during the approach, so he chose to perform a go-around. The engine did not produce full power during the go-around, and the airplane would not maintain altitude, so he performed a forced landing short of the runway, during which the airplane collided with trees. An examination of the wreckage and a test run of the engine did not reveal any evidence of a preaccident malfunction or failure that would have precluded normal operation. The recorded systems and engine data showed that there should have been adequate fuel on board to complete the flight. 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 (partial) during approach (VFR go-around) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during approach (VFR pattern downwind)
- Collision during takeoff/land during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Descent/approach/glide path › Attain/maintain not possible
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 1,993 hours in all; 284 in this make and model; 12 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 1,993 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 3, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,301 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 18, 2018; 6 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental TSIO-550C(11) (piston); 1,301 hours total
- Operator: Hardwood Transport Llc
The flight
- Departed from: BGM Binghamton NY at 8:23 pm
- Destination: X04 Apopka FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 33, 3,987 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 100° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 30.17 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 am from KLEE, 14 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
11 documents, released by the NTSB on June 26, 2020. 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 | FAA Inspector Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | NTSB Examination Summary | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Photo Array | PDF, 8 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Textron Technical Report | PDF, 7 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Continental Engine Run Report | PDF, 10 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Garmin G-1000 Data | data file | Download |
| 8 | Flight Path from G1000 Data | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 9 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 10 | Evidence Control Form | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 11 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | PDF, 15 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.