Cessna 140 accident near St. Petersburg, Florida, March 28, 2017
On March 28, 2017 at about 1:00 pm local time, a 1949 Cessna 140, registered N7838B, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near St. Petersburg, Florida (Albert Whitted 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 pilot receiving instruction’s overcorrection with rudder during the landing roll, which resulted in a ground loop and runway excursion. Contributing to the accident was 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
- March 28, 2017 · about 1:00 pm local time
- Place
- St. Petersburg, Florida · Albert Whitted · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 140 A, built 1949 · all 140s on the register
- Registration
- N7838B · no longer on the register · serial 15694
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was receiving instruction in the tailwheel-equipped airplane. He reported that, during the landing roll, the airplane turned left and that he "over corrected with too much right rudder." He added that the airplane ground looped, exited the runway to the right, and came to rest in a nose-down attitude. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the firewall. The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane 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
- Attempted remediation/recovery during landing (landing roll)
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Flight control system › Rudder control system › Incorrect use/operation
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Student/instructed pilot
- factor Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Instructor/check pilot
Flight instructor
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 8,210 hours in all; 32 in this make and model; 74 in the last 90 days; 34 in the last 30 days; 8,043 as pilot in command; 6,704 on instruments
- Last flight review: November 16, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 281 hours in all; 4 in this make and model
- Last flight review: May 22, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,406.5 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, February 9, 2017
- Maximum gross weight: 1,500 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor C90 (piston); 1,506 hours total
- Operator: St. Pete Aviation Services, LLC
The flight
- Departed from: SPG St. Petersburg FL at 1:15 pm
- Destination: SPG St. Petersburg FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 07, 3,677 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.05 inHg
- Observation at 12:53 pm from KSPG
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on May 8, 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 | Pilot's Statement | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Accident Photo (Courtesy of FAA) | 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.