Cessna 172N accident near Melbourne, Florida, October 21, 2003
On October 21, 2003 at about 4:45 pm local time, a Cessna 172N, registered N734JT, was substantially damaged in an accident near Melbourne, Florida (Melbourne International Airpt airport). It was a personal 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
Inadvertent full retraction of the flaps, while recovering from a bounced landing, resulting in an inadvertent stall, uncontrolled descent, and subsequent impact with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 21, 2003 · about 4:45 pm local time
- Place
- Melbourne, Florida · Melbourne International Airpt · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N734JT · no longer on the register · serial 17268896
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private-rated pilot was on final approach for runway 4, and flared too high with full flaps. The airplane touched down and bounced two to three times, the last bounce was around 25 to 35 feet high. The pilot applied full throttle, switched carburetor heat off and hit the flap switch to retract 1 notch of flaps. The airplane pitched nose down and impacted the runway; ground scars on the north edge of the runway associated with the propeller blades were noted. Damage to the fuselage and propeller was noted; one of the propeller blades was bent forward. Post accident, the pilot noticed the flaps were fully retracted.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 3 hours in all; 110 in this make and model; 22 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 54 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,294.3 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 16, 2003; 213 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-H2AD (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Indian River Flying Club
The flight
- Departed from: KTIX Titusville FL at 4:10 pm
- Destination: KMLB
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 4, 3,001 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 020° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,700 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 30.03 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from MLB
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.