Cessna 172N accident near Jacksonville, Florida, August 26, 1989
On August 26, 1989 at about 3:20 am local time, a Cessna 172N, registered N738WM, was substantially damaged in an accident near Jacksonville, Florida (Craig Muni airport). It was a personal 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
INADEQUATE VISUAL LOOKOUT BY THE PILOT. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: DARK NIGHT, LIGHT POLE WITH AN INOPERATIVE LIGHT, AND THE LACK OF VISUAL PERCEPTION CONCERNING THE PILOT'S ABILITY TO SEE THE POLE AT NIGHT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 26, 1989 · about 3:20 am local time
- Place
- Jacksonville, Florida · Craig Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N738WM · registry record · serial 17270294
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AFTER LANDING AT NIGHT, THE PLT TAXIED TO THE PARKING RAMP, BUT FOUND THAT THE ACFT'S NORMAL PARKING PLACE WAS OCCUPIED. HE TAXIED TO THE END OF THE ROW & MADE A LEFT TURN TOWARD THE NEXT ROW. DURING THE TURN, THE RIGHT WING STRUCK A LIGHT POLE BESIDE THE RAMP. THE LIGHT ON THE POLE WAS NOT OPERATING. THE PLT RPRTD THAT THE COLOR OF THE POLE WAS DARK & HE DID NOT SEE IT.
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: 725 hours in all; 100 in this make and model; 125 in the last 90 days; 65 in the last 30 days; 550 as pilot in command; 75 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,663 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 17, 1989; 5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-H2AD (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 32, 4,007 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 77°F (25°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:50 am from CRG
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 MIA89LA234.