Cessna 172K accident near Southport, North Carolina, December 19, 2024
On December 19, 2024 at about 4:30 pm local time, a 1969 Cessna 172K, registered N7085G, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Southport, North Carolina. 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 instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s loss of aircraft control due to spatial disorientation, and the flight instructor’s inadequate supervision, which resulted in the subsequent overstress of the airplane during recovery.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 19, 2024 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- Southport, North Carolina · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172K, built 1969 · all 172Ks on the register
- Registration
- N7085G · registry record · serial 17258785
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The instrument training flight was conducted in instrument meteorological conditions. The private pilot receiving instruction said that he initiated a “slight turn to the left which spatially disoriented me. We ended up in a spiral, and then my instructor took over and recovered [the airplane].” The flight instructor gave a similar account and stated that he “allowed the situation to deteriorate too far before taking control.” After landing, a visual inspection of the airplane revealed substantial damage in the form of “plastic deformation” to both wings consistent with overstress. The flight instructor reported that prior to the accident the airplane required a “1-3 degree” input in the roll axis to maintain the desired heading. When the flight instructor was asked if he felt the discrepancy was significant enough to declare an emergency, abort the mission, or perform a precautionary landing, and he replied, “No. We noticed it and briefed it, but no. It was noticed, but not a grounding condition.”
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 in flight during enroute (cruise) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Instructor/check pilot
- Personnel issues › Psychological › Perception/orientation/illusion › Spatial disorientation › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft structures › Wing structure › (general) › Capability exceeded
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 966 hours in all; 889 in this make and model; 164 in the last 90 days; 49 in the last 30 days; 844 as pilot in command; 567 on instruments
- Last flight review: December 1, 2023
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 66 hours in all; 66 in this make and model; 34 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 16 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 4, 2025
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 10,210 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 5, 2024; 26 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 SERIES (piston); 6,930 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: IFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 16 knots, gusting 23
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 900 ft
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.15 inHg
- Observation at 11:29 am from KSUT
Weather report (METAR): KSUT 191629Z AUTO 05016G23KT 10SM OVC009 13/12 A3015 RMK AO2
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 2 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ERA25LA087.