Cessna 172L accident near Deland, Florida, September 17, 2024
On September 17, 2024 at about 6:30 pm local time, a 1972 Cessna 172L, registered N19703, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Deland, Florida (Deland Muni-Sidney H Taylor Fl airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The parachutist’s failure to control his canopy which resulted in a downwind landing, an overshoot of the drop zone, and collision with a departing airplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 17, 2024 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Deland, Florida · Deland Muni-Sidney H Taylor Fl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172L, built 1972 · all 172Ls on the register
- Registration
- N19703 · registry record · serial 17260685
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor explained that immediately after the airplane lifted from the runway, a parachutist beneath a fully fully-deployed canopy appeared from above and to the left of the high-winged airplane about 15-20 ft above ground level. The parachutist was aligned to cross the runway from left to right immediately to his front, so he turned right to raise the left wing in hopes of striking the parachute instead of the parachutist. Witnesses described the collision, pieces separating from the airplane, and the parachutist “skidding” across the runway before coming to rest unhurt. The instructor maneuvered the substantially substantially-damaged airplane and landed it successfully with both occupants emerging unhurt. According to the operator of the skydiving activity, the parachutist failed to enter the area surrounding the designated drop zone properly and into the wind, but instead overshot the landing zone in the downwind direction and crossed in front of the departing airplane. In a written statement, the parachutist explained that he was a “student” and that he lacked control of the canopy when he experienced a “sudden change of winds.” He stated that the wind “pushed” him in the direction of the departure runway. The parachutist added that because he was a student in a “highly good” training environment, that he would improve his “skills and experience” with more training.
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
- Collision during takeoff/land during initial climb defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Person › Awareness of condition
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot, student
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 681 hours in all; 292 in this make and model; 112 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 574 as pilot in command; 390 on instruments
- Last flight review: August 16, 2024
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,772.3 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 31, 2024
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 05/2, 4,301 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 020° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,600 ft; scat at 3,900 ft
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 29.93 inHg
- Observation at 2:30 pm from KDED
Weather report (METAR): KDED 171830Z AUTO 02003KT 10SM SCT039 BKN046 BKN055 32/23 A2993 RMK AO2 T03160227
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Photographs from the investigation 2 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
The NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
7 documents, released by the NTSB on March 20, 2025. 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 | Skydiving Operations Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Skydiving Activity Statement and Landing Zone Diagram | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Witness Statements | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Airport Facility Directory Kded | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Photo Array | PDF, 2 pages · our copy | View Download |
| 7 | FAA Loa for Skydiving Activities at Kded | PDF, 7 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.