Cessna 172B accident near Zephyrhills, Florida, November 21, 2004
On November 21, 2004 at about 9:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172B, registered N7493X, was substantially damaged in an accident near Zephyrhills, Florida. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to set the parking brake and his improper starting procedure which resulted in an unattended aircraft running away after hand starting the engine and the airplane colliding with parked airplanes, incurring substantial damage.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 21, 2004 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Zephyrhills, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident · collision on the ground
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172B · all 172Bs on the register
- Registration
- N7493X · no longer on the register · serial 17247993
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that after refueling the airplane embarked and tried to start the airplane, and said that it would not start. He said he turned off the magneto switch, set the brakes, got out the airplane, and tried starting it by hand several times, but it would not start. After a brief distraction he said that when he again moved the propeller, all of a sudden the engine started operating immediately. He said the airplane moved forward and was heading toward the fuel tank, so he ran after it and grabbed the left strut to keep it from hitting the tank. He said the airplane proceeded between the fuel tank and the credit card machine, knocking him to the ground, and continued on, impacted two parked airplanes and two chain linked fences before stopping.
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: 643 hours in all; 643 in this make and model
- Last flight review: February 11, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Teledyne Continental O-300-d (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ZPH Zephyrhills FL at 9:30 pm
- Destination: LAL Lakeland FL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.14 inHg
- Observation at 4:51 pm from LAL
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.