Cessna 172H accident near Century, Florida, July 9, 2025
On July 9, 2025 at about 10:20 am local time, a 1967 Cessna 172H, registered N3254C, was substantially damaged in an accident during emergency descent near Century, Florida. It was a personal 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 NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 9, 2025 · about 10:20 am local time
- Place
- Century, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172H, built 1967 · all 172Hs on the register
- Registration
- N3254C · registry record · serial 17256156
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On July 9, 2025, about 1820 central daylight time, a Cessna 172, N3254C, was involved in an accident near Century, Florida. The pilot and the passenger were not injured. The flight was conducted as a 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot departed the Atmore Municipal Airport (0R1), Atmore, Alabama, about 1800 for a local flight. About 20 minutes later, while cruising at 1,500 ft mean sea level (msl), the engine suddenly stopped producing power. The pilot was unable to restart the engine and made a forced landing to a peanut field. When the airplane touched down, it nosed over resulting in substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer and rudder. The airplane was recovered from the accident site and retained for further examination.
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 (total) during emergency descent defining event
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 14, 2025
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
The flight
- Departed from: 0R1 Atmore AL at 11:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; scat at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 6:56 pm from KNSE, 29 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KNSE 092356Z 24008KT 10SM SCT050 SCT100 BKN250 31/23 A3002
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The NTSB has not released the docket for this case yet. The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), is usually released when the investigation is nearly complete, and the list here is refreshed when it appears. Check at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N3254C 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.