Cessna 140 accident near Keystone Heights, Florida, February 15, 2023
On February 15, 2023 at about 3:00 pm local time, a 1948 Cessna 140, registered N2419V, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Keystone Heights, Florida (Keystone Heights 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
The pilot’s improper decision to perform an impromptu off-airport landing and his failure to maintain control of the airplane during the landing, which resulted in a nose-over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 15, 2023 · about 3:00 pm local time
- Place
- Keystone Heights, Florida · Keystone Heights · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 140, built 1948 · all 140s on the register
- Registration
- N2419V · no longer on the register · serial 14665
- 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 he was about three miles south of the non-tower-controlled airport, inbound for landing, when he heard another pilot announce they were on the downwind leg of the traffic pattern for the same runway. He elected to perform a 360° right turn to “allow the other aircraft time to clear the pattern.” He further reported that while in the turn, he “noticed acres and acres of pristine/plush land.” The pilot then decided to perform an off-airport landing in a field. During the landing roll, livestock began to walk in front of the airplane and the pilot took action to avoid a collision. This resulted in a nose over and substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer, rudder, wings, and fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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 control on ground during landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private, recreational
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 2,000 hours in all; 65 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 2,000 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 1, 2021
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,433 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 1, 2022
- Maximum gross weight: 1,450 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200 (piston); 355 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: X58 Indiantown FL at 1:00 pm
- Destination: 42J Keystone Heights FL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 30.21 inHg
- Observation at 10:35 am from 42J
Weather report (METAR): METAR K42J 151535Z AUTO 19011KT 10SM CLR 22/15 A3021 RMK A01
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on June 15, 2023. 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 | Memorandum for Record A�� Telephone Interview, Pilot | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Photographs | PDF, 5 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.