Cessna 172B accident near Brooksville, Florida, April 24, 1985
On April 24, 1985 at about 5:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172B, registered N7846X, was substantially damaged in an accident near Brooksville, Florida (Pilot Country airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. 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
- April 24, 1985 · about 5:30 pm local time
- Place
- Brooksville, Florida · Pilot Country
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172B · all 172Bs on the register
- Registration
- N7846X · no longer on the register · serial 17248346
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ACCORDING TO A PLT STATEMENT, HE ENTERED THE TRAFFIC PATTERN AT ABOUT 800 FT & HELD 70 MPH WITH 10 DEG OF FLAPS & THE CARB HEAT ON. AFTER TURNING ONTO FINAL APCH, HE ADVANCED THE THROTTLE FOR A POWER ADJUSTMENT, BUT THE ENG DID NOT RESPOND. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED DURING A FORCED LANDING NEAR THE EDGE OF A POND SHORT OF THE RWY. A POST-CRASH EXAM REVEALED NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION.
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: 341 hours in all; 341 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 210 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 4, 1985; 4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,075 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 3,700 ft by 72 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 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.