Cessna 172S accident near Daytona Beach, Florida, April 28, 2002
On April 28, 2002 at about 2:40 pm local time, a Cessna 172S, registered N786SP, was substantially damaged in an accident near Daytona Beach, Florida (Spruce Creek airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot misjudged the landing flare, resulting in a hard landing, and damage to the airplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 28, 2002 · about 2:40 pm local time
- Place
- Daytona Beach, Florida · Spruce Creek · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172S · all 172Ss on the register
- Registration
- N786SP · registry record · serial 17258713
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, upon landing, he flared the airplane, landed hard on the main landing gear, and bounced 3 to 4 times on the nose of the airplane. At the end of the runway he noticed that he had no elevator control. Examination of the airplane's control surfaces, after the accident revealed the elevators were found stuck in the down position due to impact damage causing the pilot's side control column to jam within the control yoke guide assembly, hindering fore and aft movement of the control column. There was no damage found to any of the control surfaces or any other part of the cabin structure.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 561 hours in all; 15 in this make and model; 4 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 348 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 16, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Crew member
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 186 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 97.6 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 1, 2002; 3.4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-L2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 7FL6 Daytona Beach FL at 2:15 pm
- Destination: PBI West Palm Beach FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 23, 4,000 ft by 176 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 30.18 inHg
- Observation at 1:50 pm from KDAB, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket 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.