Cessna 172 accident near Destin, Florida, November 17, 2016
On November 17, 2016 at about 3:30 pm local time, a 1986 Cessna 172, registered N9358L, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Destin, Florida (Destin Executive 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 student pilot’s overcorrection with right rudder, which resulted in a loss of directional control, and the flight instructor’s delayed remedial action.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 17, 2016 · about 3:30 pm local time
- Place
- Destin, Florida · Destin Executive · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 P, built 1986 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N9358L · registry record · serial 17276546
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot reported that during the landing roll of a touch-and-go the airplane was off the centerline and he added right rudder, but he "overcompensated". The flight instructor reported that the airplane drifted to the right and was about to exit the runway, so he pushed in the throttle, applied left rudder, and pulled back on the yoke to initiate a climb. The student pilot reported that as the airplane became airborne they heard a "slight bang" and thought the landing gear had struck a runway light. The flight instructor further reported that they conducted a full-stop landing to examine the landing gear, but there was no damage noted. During a postflight inspection at their home airport, it was revealed that the left horizontal stabilizer had sustained substantial damage. The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine 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 takeoff defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery during takeoff
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during takeoff
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Instructor/check pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Student/instructed pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Runway/taxi/approach light › Contributed to outcome
Flight instructor
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument airplane; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: balloon; rotorcraft: glider; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 11,900 hours in all; 1,500 in this make and model; 90 in the last 90 days; 35 in the last 30 days; 8,900 as pilot in command; 3,200 on instruments
- Last flight review: August 22, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 12 hours in all; 12 in this make and model; 12 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,741.8 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 31, 2016
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-A4M (piston); 1,493 hours total
- Operator: United States Air Force
The flight
- Departed from: VPS Valparaiso/Destin-Ft Walton Beach FL at 2:00 pm
- Destination: DTS Destin FL
- Runway 14, 5,001 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 060° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.14 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 pm from KDTS
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on January 19, 2017. 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, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Flight Instructor's Statement | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Student Pilot's Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Accident Photo (Courtesy of Flight Club Manager) | PDF, 1 page | 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.