Cessna 172N and Cessna 182Q mid-air collision near Deerfield Beach, Florida, June 17, 2003
On June 17, 2003 at about 11:51 pm local time, 2 aircraft, Cessna 172N (N4903F) and Cessna 182Q (N759XA), were involved in a mid-air collision near Deerfield Beach, Florida. 5 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
**This case was revised 6/10/2005 and 2/24/2016. Refer to the public docket for this accident for details.** The failure of the pilot of N4903F, the Cessna 172, and the pilot of N759XA, the Cessna 182, to see and avoid each other while operating in Class E airspace, resulting in a midair collision. Contributing to the accident was the lack of traffic information being provided to the pilot of the Cessna 182 about known traffic in the vicinity, because the controller forgot about the Cessna 172' s reported path and altitude, and the Cessna 172 pilot's change of his transponder code, which precluded the possibility of an ATC collision alert before the accident.
**This case was revised 6/10/2005 and 2/24/2016. Refer to the public docket for this accident for details.** The failure of the pilot of N4903F, the Cessna 172, and the pilot of N759XA, the Cessna 182, to see and avoid each other while operating in Class E airspace, resulting in a midair collision. Contributing to the accident was the lack of traffic information being provided to the pilot of the Cessna 182 about known traffic in the vicinity, because the controller forgot about the Cessna 172' s reported path and altitude, and the Cessna 172 pilot's change of his transponder code, which precluded the possibility of an ATC collision alert before the accident.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 17, 2003 · about 11:51 pm local time
- Place
- Deerfield Beach, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident · mid-air collision
- Injuries
- 5 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft 1
- Cessna 172N · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N4903F · no longer on the register · serial 17273100
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
- Aircraft 2
- Cessna 182Q · all 182Qs on the register
- Registration
- N759XA · no longer on the register · serial 18266330
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative for the Cessna 172N final · quoted from the NTSB record
N4903F, a Cessna 172N, and N759XA, a Cessna 182Q, collided while in cruise flight, during daylight visual meteorological conditions, in class E airspace, over the Atlantic ocean, about 300 yards east of the Deerfield Beach pier, Deerfield Beach, Florida. The airplane wreckages descended, impacted the ocean, and came to rest in about 38 feet of water. Both airplanes were destroyed, and all occupants received fatal injuries. The Cessna 172 had departed Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport about 1835, and had proceeded north. He had contacted PBI TRACON for authorization and radar advisory service, and was assigned a transponder code of 0205. At 1942:07, when preparing to exit PBI's airspace, the PBI controller instructed the pilot of Cessna 172 to remain on the same transponder code, and told him that radar service was terminated, and to contact Boca tower, "one one eight point four two for transition." The pilot of the Cessna 172 read back the frequency, and acknowledged. At this time radar indicated the Cessna 172 was about 10 miles south of PBI, and about 8 miles north-northeast of BCT. At 1943:30 radar indicated that the Cessna 172's transponder code changed from 0205 to 1200. At 1944:25, the pilot of Cessna 172 contacted Boca Raton tower (BCT) and said, "Skyhawk four niner zero three foxtrot, about seven miles north over the shoreline, would like to, to Lauderdale Executive, would like to transition your airspace please." The controller said, "zero three fox I believe that is, transition southbound approved, the altimeter two nine nine six, report east." The pilot of the Cessna 172 read back the altimeter setting. At 1942, the pilot of the Cessna 182 had left the Bahamas , and he had landed and cleared customs in Fort Lauderdale, and was at the time of the accident continuing on to his final destination, Boca Raton, Florida. At 1946:25, the pilot of Cessna 182 contacted Pompano Beach tower (PMP) and advised that he was "northbound, VFR along the beach landing Boca Raton." The PMP controller acknowledged and advised the pilot to "report passing east of the field." At 1948:46, the pilot of N47DM, an uninvolved airplane, called BCT tower, and requested to taxi to the active runway. The controller acknowledged and the pilot said he would like to pick up his IFR clearance. During this radio communications exchange, radar indicated the Cessna 172 passed east of BCT, and there was no record of the pilot of the Cessna 172 having reported his position, east. At 1949:05, the pilot of the Cessna 182 transmitted to the Pompano (PMP) tower controller, "reporting east of the field." Radar indicted the Cessna 182 was about 2 miles east of PMP about that time. The PMP tower controller responded and instructed the pilot to contact Boca Raton (BCT) tower, and the pilot acknowledged. At 1949:11, the BCT controller read the IFR clearance to the pilot of N47DM, an uninvolved pilot, and the pilot read back the clearance. While the pilot of N47DM was reading back the IFR clearance on the ground control frequency, the pilot of the Cessna 182 was transmitting on the local control frequency saying, "seven five niner x-ray alpha good evening." At 1949:34, on the ground control frequency, the BCT controller said, "that is correct", and less than three seconds later, on the local control frequency, he said, "roger, no reported traffic south, frequency change approved, good night." At this time, radar indicated the Cessna 172 was 3 miles south southeast of BCT at 1,000 feet, and the Cessna 182 was 2 miles northeast of PMP at 1,000 feet. The airplanes were about 5 miles apart on opposite courses. At 1949:44, the pilot of Cessna 182 repeated, "even five niner x-ray alpha good evening." The BCT controller responded, "Cessna calling say again", to which the pilot repeated the information, and the controller confirmed the call sign. The pilot acknowledged and said, "one thousand feet, VFR northbound along the beach, six and a half miles to the south, landing Boca." The controller acknowledged and instructed the pilot to enter and report a two mile right base for runway 5, and the pilot of the Cessna 182 acknowledged. There was no record of the BCT controller informing the pilot of the Cessna 182 of the whereabouts of the southbound Cessna 172, or of any potential traffic conflicts. At 1950:37, radar indicated the Cessna 172 exited the BCT Class D airspace at 1,000 feet, and at the same time, the Cessna 182 exited the PMP Class D airspace at 900 feet, with both airplanes being less than one mile apart, and on opposite courses. Radar indicated that the airplanes collided between 1950:52 and 1950:57. Postcrash examination of both accident airplanes did not reveal any preaccident anomalies.
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 NTSB's narrative for the Cessna 182Q final · quoted from the NTSB record
N4903F, a Cessna 172N, and N759XA, a Cessna 182Q, collided while in cruise flight, during daylight visual meteorological conditions, in class E airspace, over the Atlantic ocean, about 300 yards east of the Deerfield Beach pier, Deerfield Beach, Florida. The airplane wreckages descended, impacted the ocean, and came to rest in about 38 feet of water. Both airplanes were destroyed, and all occupants received fatal injuries. The Cessna 172 had departed Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport about 1835, and had proceeded north. He had contacted PBI TRACON for authorization and radar advisory service, and was assigned a transponder code of 0205. At 1942:07, when preparing to exit PBI's airspace, the PBI controller instructed the pilot of Cessna 172 to remain on the same transponder code, and told him that radar service was terminated, and to contact Boca tower, "one one eight point four two for transition." The pilot of the Cessna 172 read back the frequency, and acknowledged. At this time radar indicated the Cessna 172 was about 10 miles south of PBI, and about 8 miles north-northeast of BCT. At 1943:30 radar indicated that the Cessna 172's transponder code changed from 0205 to 1200. At 1944:25, the pilot of Cessna 172 contacted Boca Raton tower (BCT) and said, "Skyhawk four niner zero three foxtrot, about seven miles north over the shoreline, would like to, to Lauderdale Executive, would like to transition your airspace please." The controller said, "zero three fox I believe that is, transition southbound approved, the altimeter two nine nine six, report east." The pilot of the Cessna 172 read back the altimeter setting. At 1942, the pilot of the Cessna 182 had left the Bahamas , and he had landed and cleared customs in Fort Lauderdale, and was at the time of the accident continuing on to his final destination, Boca Raton, Florida. At 1946:25, the pilot of Cessna 182 contacted Pompano Beach tower (PMP) and advised that he was "northbound, VFR along the beach landing Boca Raton." The PMP controller acknowledged and advised the pilot to "report passing east of the field." At 1948:46, the pilot of N47DM, an uninvolved airplane, called BCT tower, and requested to taxi to the active runway. The controller acknowledged and the pilot said he would like to pick up his IFR clearance. During this radio communications exchange, radar indicated the Cessna 172 passed east of BCT, and there was no record of the pilot of the Cessna 172 having reported his position, east. At 1949:05, the pilot of the Cessna 182 transmitted to the Pompano (PMP) tower controller, "reporting east of the field." Radar indicted the Cessna 182 was about 2 miles east of PMP about that time. The PMP tower controller responded and instructed the pilot to contact Boca Raton (BCT) tower, and the pilot acknowledged. At 1949:11, the BCT controller read the IFR clearance to the pilot of N47DM, an uninvolved pilot, and the pilot read back the clearance. While the pilot of N47DM was reading back the IFR clearance on the ground control frequency, the pilot of the Cessna 182 was transmitting on the local control frequency saying, "seven five niner x-ray alpha good evening." At 1949:34, on the ground control frequency, the BCT controller said, "that is correct", and less than three seconds later, on the local control frequency, he said, "roger, no reported traffic south, frequency change approved, good night." At this time, radar indicated the Cessna 172 was 3 miles south southeast of BCT at 1,000 feet, and the Cessna 182 was 2 miles northeast of PMP at 1,000 feet. The airplanes were about 5 miles apart on opposite courses. At 1949:44, the pilot of Cessna 182 repeated, "even five niner x-ray alpha good evening." The BCT controller responded, "Cessna calling say again", to which the pilot repeated the information, and the controller confirmed the call sign. The pilot acknowledged and said, "one thousand feet, VFR northbound along the beach, six and a half miles to the south, landing Boca." The controller acknowledged and instructed the pilot to enter and report a two mile right base for runway 5, and the pilot of the Cessna 182 acknowledged. There was no record of the BCT controller informing the pilot of the Cessna 182 of the whereabouts of the southbound Cessna 172, or of any potential traffic conflicts. At 1950:37, radar indicated the Cessna 172 exited the BCT Class D airspace at 1,000 feet, and at the same time, the Cessna 182 exited the PMP Class D airspace at 900 feet, with both airplanes being less than one mile apart, and on opposite courses. Radar indicated that the airplanes collided between 1950:52 and 1950:57. Postcrash examination of both accident airplanes did not reveal any preaccident anomalies.
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 for the Cessna 172N from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 75 hours in all; 65 in this make and model; 75 in the last 90 days; 34 in the last 30 days; 10 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,853.7 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 7, 2003; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming 0320 H2AD (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FXE Fort Lauderdale FL at 10:35 pm
- Destination: FXE
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,500 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 11:45 pm from BCT, 4 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
The factual record for the Cessna 182Q from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 890 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,208 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 3, 2002
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-U (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FLL Fort Lauderdale FL at 11:40 pm
- Destination: BCT Boca Raton FL
- Flight plan: none
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
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.