Cessna 172C accident near Titusville, Florida, November 16, 1984
On November 16, 1984 at about 3:00 am local time, a Cessna 172C, registered N1554Y, was destroyed in an accident near Titusville, Florida (Ti-Co airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was 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
- November 16, 1984 · about 3:00 am local time
- Place
- Titusville, Florida · Ti-Co · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172C · all 172Cs on the register
- Registration
- N1554Y · no longer on the register · serial 17249254
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ACCORDING TO THE PLT, AFTER HE WAS UNSUCCESSFUL IN STARTING THE ACFT ENG HE SWITCHED OFF THE MAGNETOS AND MASTER SWITCH AND EXITED THE ACFT. LATER, DURING THE PROCESS OF MOVING THE PROPELLER TO A POSITION TO CLEAR A HAND TOE BAR, THE ACFT STARTED, TAXIED ACROSS THE AIRPORT AND TOOKOFF. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE MAGNETO KEY SELECTOR SWITCH DID NOT HAVE THE GROUNDING LEAD CONNECTED TO THE RT MAGNETO POSITION ALLOWING THE MAGNETO TO BE 'HOT' WHEN THE SELECTOR WAS IN THE OFF POSITION. THE ACFT WAS FOUND ABOUT 1/4 MI FROM THE AIRPORT WHERE IT HAD CRASHED INTO TREES.
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: student
- Flight time: 54 hours in all; 18 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 34 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 2,100 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-H2AD (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TIX Titusville FL
- Destination: Ocala FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,000 ft; scat
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:00 pm from MLB
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.