Cessna 172M accident near Vero Beach, Florida, April 7, 2006
On April 7, 2006 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Cessna 172M, registered N64425, was substantially damaged in an accident near Vero Beach, Florida. 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's failure to maintain directional control while executing a go-around in gusty conditions which resulted in the airplane veering off the runway, colliding with a ditch and nosing over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 7, 2006 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Vero Beach, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172M · all 172Ms on the register
- Registration
- N64425 · no longer on the register · serial 17265217
- 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 he was cleared to land on runway 11R, and the winds were reported to be from 140 degrees, at a velocity of 12 knots, gusting to 16 knots. He further stated that upon touchdown, everything was fine, but a few seconds later the airplane darted off the runway to the left. He said he made the decision to go around, and added full power in his attempt to perform a go-around, but the airplane did not have sufficient airspeed to become airborne. He said the airplane went through the grass, and hit a "bump", flipping over on its back. Postcrash examination of the airplane by an FAA inspector did not reveal any mechanical failures or malfunctions of the airplane or any of its systems.
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: 43 hours in all; 43 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 15 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 11,504 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, March 1, 2006; 33 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Airborne Systems Inc.,
The flight
- Departed from: FXE Ft. Lauderdale FL at 9:50 pm
- Destination: VRB Vero Beach FL
- Flight plan: VFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 13 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 pm from VRB
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.
Other NTSB records under N64425 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.