Cessna 172P accident near Lake Wales, Florida, May 31, 1987
On May 31, 1987 at about 7:47 pm local time, a Cessna 172P, registered N63597, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lake Wales, Florida (Chalet Suzanne Air Strip airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries; 2 others were unhurt. 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 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 31, 1987 · about 7:47 pm local time
- Place
- Lake Wales, Florida · Chalet Suzanne Air Strip · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries; 2 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172P · all 172Ps on the register
- Registration
- N63597 · registry record · serial 17275453
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT SELECTED 20 DEGREES OF FLAPS FOR A SHORT FIELD TAKEOFF. AT APRX 75 FT AGL HE RAISED THEM 10 DEGREES RESULTING IN A NOSE HIGH ALTIUDE. THE ACFT THEN STALLED AND CRASHED UNCONTROLLED IN A NOSE LOW ALTITUDE CAUSING THE NOSE GEAR TO COLLAPSE. THE ACFT THEN NOSED OVER AND CAME TO REST INVERTED. ACCORDING TO THE PLT'S OPERATING HANDBOOK, FLAP SETTINGS GREATER THAN 10 DEGREES ARE NOT APPROVED FOR TAKEOFF.
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: 375 hours in all; 20 in the last 90 days; 335 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,611 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 20, 1987; 68 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2J (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Cub Club,Inc.
The flight
- Destination: FMY Ft. Myers FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 2,450 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 060° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,000 ft; not recorded at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:51 pm from MCO, 33 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 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.
Other NTSB records under N63597 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 MIA87LA168.