Cessna 172D accident near St. Petersburg, Florida, April 26, 1986
On April 26, 1986 at about 8:05 pm local time, a Cessna 172D, registered N2321U, was substantially damaged in an accident near St. Petersburg, Florida (Albert Whitted Municipal airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. 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 26, 1986 · about 8:05 pm local time
- Place
- St. Petersburg, Florida · Albert Whitted Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172D · all 172Ds on the register
- Registration
- N2321U · no longer on the register · serial 17249921
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE ON SECOND ATTEMPT TO PICK UP AN AERIAL ADVERTISING BANNER THE FLIGHT CAPTURED THE BANNER AND AS IT PULLED UP TO CLIMB OUT THE PILOT STATED THE AIRCRAFT WOULD NOT CLIMB. THE AIRCRAFT THEN STALLED AND CRASHED TO THE GROUND IN A NOSE LOW LEFT WING LOW ATTITUDE WITH THE BANNER STILL ATTACHED. WITNESSES STATED AS THE AIRCRAFT APPROACHED TO PICK UP THE BANNER IT APPEARED TO BE FLYING SLOW. THE BANNER PICKED UP CONTAINED 41 LETTERS ACCORDING TO THE LOCAL POLICE DEPARTMENT. THE PILOT STATED HE NORMALLY NEVER CARRIES MORE THAN 38 LETTERS.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,200 hours in all; 700 in this make and model; 70 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,135 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 20, 1985; 85 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 2,800 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 12 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 20,000 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:11 pm from SPG
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.