Cessna 172K accident near Everglades City, Florida, March 4, 1991
On March 4, 1991 at about 4:47 pm local time, a Cessna 172K, registered N84461, was substantially damaged in an accident near Everglades City, Florida (Everglades airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
INFORMATION GIVEN DURING A WEATHER BRIEFING WAS DISREGARDED, IN-FLIGHT ENCOUNTER WITH WIND GUST, AND FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO EXECUTE A GO-AROUND. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS INADEQUATE PLACEMENT OF A WINDSOCK WHICH WAS BLOCKED BY TREES RESULTING IN AN INCORRECT INDICATION OF THE DIRECTION AND VELOCITY OF THE WIND.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 4, 1991 · about 4:47 pm local time
- Place
- Everglades City, Florida · Everglades
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172K · all 172Ks on the register
- Registration
- N84461 · no longer on the register · serial 17258480
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT OBTAINED A WX BRIEFING & WAS ADVISED THAT THE WIND AT A NEARBY ARPT WAS GUSTING TO 22 KTS FROM 300 DEGREES. HE OVERFLEW THE ARPT TO OBSERVE THE WINDSOCK WHICH INDICATED THAT THE WIND WAS LIGHT FROM THE NORTH. HE THEN ENTERED THE PATTERN TO LAND ON RWY 33 & WHILE ON SHORT FINAL, A GUST OF WIND RAISED THE LT WING. HE ATTEMPTED TO CORRECT THIS BUT THE ACFT DESCENDED & CRASHED ON THE RWY. ACCORDING TO A SHERIFF'S DEPUTY WHO WITNESSED THE ACCIDENT, HE ESTIMATED THAT THE WIND WAS FROM THE WEST GUSTING TO 30 KTS. REVIEW OF THE ARPT LAYOUT REVEALED THAT TREES BLOCK THE WINDSOCK.
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: 159 hours in all; 10 in this make and model; 13 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 122 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,194 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, November 18, 1990; 61 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HWO Hollywood FL at 3:45 pm
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 33, 2,400 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 15 knots, gusting 22
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,500 ft; scat at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:45 pm from APF, 28 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.