Cessna 172M accident near Arcadia, Florida, May 15, 1983
On May 15, 1983 at about 8:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172M, registered N9558V, was substantially damaged in an accident near Arcadia, Florida (Arcardia Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 15, 1983 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Arcadia, Florida · Arcardia Municipal
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172M · all 172Ms on the register
- Registration
- N9558V · no longer on the register · serial 172 64 360
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT REPORTED THAT ON HIS APPROACH TO LAND, HIS SPEED WAS HIGHER THAN NORMAL & THE ACFT TOUCHED DOWN WELL PAST THE NORMAL TOUCHDOWN POINT. HE WAS UNABLE TO STOP ON THE REMAINING RWY. THE ACFT WENT OFF THE END OF THE RWY & COLLIDED WITH A DITCH. THE PLT REPORTED THAT THE FLAPS WOULD NOT FULLY EXTEND DUE TO A BATTERY PROBLEM. WITNESSES REPORTED THE FLAPS WERE IN THE 10 TO 15 DEG RANGE. REPORTEDLY, THE FLAPS OPERATED NORMALLY AFTER THE ACCIDENT WHEN NO AIR LOADS WERE PRESENT. THE PLT REPORTED THAT THE WINDS WERE VARIABLE UP TO 5 KTS. THE 1455 EDT WIND AT THE SARASOTA/BRADENTON ARPT WAS FROM 190 DEG AT 10 KTS.
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: 360 hours in all; 350 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,400 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 1, 1982; 15 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 13, 2,678 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:55 pm from SRQ, 40 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.