Cessna 172 accident near Titusville, Florida, October 24, 1987
On October 24, 1987 at about 7:53 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N4207F, was substantially damaged in an accident near Titusville, Florida. It was a personal 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
- October 24, 1987 · about 7:53 pm local time
- Place
- Titusville, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N4207F · no longer on the register · serial 46107
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AFTER A GO-AROUND, AT APRX 300 FT, THE ENG LOST POWER. THE PLT ATTEMPTED TO RETURN TO THE ARPT, BUT WAS UNABLE. THE ACFT DESCENDED, COLLIDED WITH TREES, BOUNCED OFF THE ROOF OF A HOUSE & CAME TO REST AGAINST A VEHICLE IN THE DRIVEWAY. INSPECTION OF THE CARBURETOR REVEALED THAT THE FUEL CHAMBER WELL OF THE DISCHARGE TUBE WAS BLOCKED BY DEBRIS.
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: 52 hours in all; 18 in this make and model; 26 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 29 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,409 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 24, 1987; 3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,075 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CTY Cross City FL at 6:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 040° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:51 pm from TIX, 7 miles away
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.