Cessna 172 accident near Elkton, Florida, July 14, 2019
On July 14, 2019 at about 1:21 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N35585, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Elkton, Florida. 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 under instruction's failure to follow the flight instructor’s directions and the flight instructor's delayed remedial action and subsequent exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 14, 2019 · about 1:21 pm local time
- Place
- Elkton, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 S · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N35585 · no longer on the register · serial 172S8873
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor reported that he had demonstrated a simulated engine failure and recovery at altitude to the pilot under instruction, and he subsequently asked the pilot to perform a simulated engine failure and recovery. The instructor allowed the pilot to descend over an open field, and he recalled instructing the pilot to "recover" and abort the landing about 200 ft above ground level. However, the pilot failed to do so, and the flight instructor took the controls. The airplane subsequently stalled, impacted terrain, and nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and the engine mounts. The 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
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during landing
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
- Nose over/nose down during landing
- Loss of control in flight during maneuvering defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Communication (personnel) › Following instructions › Student/instructed pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Instructor/check pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Instructor/check pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Angle of attack › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,030 hours in all; 300.7 in this make and model; 146.6 in the last 90 days; 62.7 in the last 30 days; 932.7 as pilot in command; 714.5 on instruments
- Last flight review: August 24, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 271 hours in all; 215 in this make and model; 3 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 223 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 3, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,317.5 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 31, 2019
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-L2A (piston); 7,373 hours total
- Operator: Christiansen Aviation Inc
The flight
- Departed from: SGJ Saint Augustine FL at 12:40 pm
- Destination: SGJ Saint Augustine FL
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 79°F (26°C)
- Altimeter: 30.17 inHg
- Observation at 1:56 pm from KSGJ, 4 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on December 5, 2019. 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, 13 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photo | 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.
Other NTSB records under N35585 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.