Cessna 172P accident near Wesley Chapel, Florida, September 15, 1985
On September 15, 1985 at about 6:45 pm local time, a Cessna 172P, registered N89989, was substantially damaged in an accident near Wesley Chapel, Florida (Topp Of Jampa airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 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
- September 15, 1985 · about 6:45 pm local time
- Place
- Wesley Chapel, Florida · Topp Of Jampa
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172P · all 172Ps on the register
- Registration
- N89989 · no longer on the register · serial 1726019
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE RATED PRIVATE PLT WAS RECEIVED A CHECK OUT IN THE ACFT BY A CFI. THE PLT WAS HAVING DIFFICULTY ON THE RWY AS THE WINDS WERE REPORTED AS 070 DEGS AT 13 KNTS. THE RWY BEING USED WAS RWY 32. A 20 DEG RIGHT X-WIND TAILWIND CONDITION EXISTED. ON THE 4TH TOUCH & GO,THE ACFT LEFT THE RWY TO THE RIGHT & FLIPPED OVER. FULL FLAPS HAD BEEN USED ON ALL LANDINGS.THE PLT STATED THE HE THOUGHT THE X-WIND LIMITATIONS OF THE ACFT COULD HAVE BEEN EXCEEDED.
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: 986 hours in all; 101 in this make and model; 175 in the last 90 days; 70 in the last 30 days; 756 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 923 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 3, 1985; 98 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 D2J (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Topp Of Tampa,Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: X39 Wesley Chapel FL at 6:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 32, 3,700 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 070° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:50 pm from TPA, 20 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
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.