Cessna 172 accident near Titusville, Florida, August 15, 2025
On August 15, 2025 at about 6:15 pm local time, a 1972 Cessna 172, registered N7205Q, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Titusville, Florida (Space Coast Regional Airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
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
- August 15, 2025 · about 6:15 pm local time
- Place
- Titusville, Florida · Space Coast Regional Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- not recorded
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 L, built 1972 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N7205Q · registry record · serial 17260505
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On August 15, 2025, about 1415 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172, N7205Q, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Titusville, Florida. The pilot was seriously injured and the flight instructor received minor injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight. According to the pilot, a preflight inspection was performed on the airplane and fuel onboard was 17.5 gallons. After about 40 minutes of flying, they returned to the departure airport to practice touch and go landings. While in the traffic pattern on the third touch and go, the airplane was in a descent, and when the pilot attempted to add power, the engine did not respond. The flight instructor stated that he noticed the tachometer was reading 1,000 rpm, but the throttle lever was fully in. He stated that the fuel selector was on both, the mixture was in the rich position, and the carburetor heat was “on”, but the engine did not respond. The flight instructor took control of the airplane and attempted to fly back towards the runway, but the airplane contacted trees about ½ mile from the airport property. A postaccident examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed several gallons of automotive fuel remained in the tanks of the airplane. The wreckage was 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 (partial) during takeoff defining event
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Operator: N7205Q LLC
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Wind: from 080° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 95°F (35°C), dew point 79°F (26°C)
- Altimeter: 30.09 inHg
- Observation at 2:35 pm from TIX, 1 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KTIX 151835Z 08009KT 7SM SCT040 35/26 A3009 RMK AIRCRAFT INCIDENT
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | 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.
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.