Cessna 172N accident near Frostproof, Florida, July 20, 1985
On July 20, 1985 at about 5:45 pm local time, a Cessna 172N, registered N4941G, was substantially damaged in an accident near Frostproof, Florida. It was an instructional 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).
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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 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 20, 1985 · about 5:45 pm local time
- Place
- Frostproof, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N4941G · registry record · serial 17273488
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE INSTRUCTOR PLT (CFI) REPORTED THAT WHILE CRUISING AT 2000 FT, THE ACFT ENG BEGAN LOSING POWER. HE ELECTED TO LAND ON A NARROW HIGHWAY THAT WAS BORDERED BY TREES. HE STATED THAT DURING THE LANDING, THE WIND BLEW THE ACFT OFF THE ASPHALT SURFACE, THE NOSE WHEEL ENCOUNTERED SANDY TERRAIN & THE ACFT NOSED OVER. DURING THE INVESTIGATION, THE ENG WAS REMOVED & PLACED ON AN ENG STAND FOR AN OPERATIONAL CHECK. THE ENG STARTED & RAN TO FULL POWER WITH NO INDICATION OF A FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION. THE CFI REPORTED THAT THE WIND WAS FROM 180 DEG AT 15 KTS. APRX 15 MI NORTHWEST AT BARTOW, FL, THE 1350 WIND WAS FROM 140 DEG AT 4 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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,690 hours in all; 455 in this make and model; 285 in the last 90 days; 2,365 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 11, 1985; 15 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-H2AD (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Skytel Aviation,Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: SEF Sebring FL at 5:30 pm
- Destination: GIF Winter Haven FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,000 ft; not recorded at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:46 pm from BOW, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number MIA85LA216.