Cessna 172K accident near Bunnell, Florida, May 7, 1991
On May 7, 1991 at about 3:35 pm local time, a Cessna 172K, registered N7270G, was substantially damaged in an accident near Bunnell, Florida. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
LOSS OF CONTROL IN FLIGHT DUE TO A FOREIGN OBJECT WHICH RESTRICTED THE MOVEMENT OF THE ELEVATOR FLIGHT CONTROL.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 7, 1991 · about 3:35 pm local time
- Place
- Bunnell, Florida
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172K · all 172Ks on the register
- Registration
- N7270G · registry record · serial 17258970
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AFTER TAKEOFF THE CFI & STUDENT REPORTED THAT THEY WERE UNABLE TO PUSH THE CONTROL COLUMN. THE CFI REDUCED THE THROTTLE BUT THE ACFT STALLED, CRASHED IN A LAKE & CAME TO REST INVERTED. POST CRASH EXAM OF THE ACFT REVEALED THAT A SCREWDRIVER WAS LOCATED NEAR THE CONTROL TEE. THE CONTROL TEE WAS FOUND TO BE SCRATCHED. A SIMILAR EVENT OCCURRED WHILE THE CFI WAS ABOARD THE ACFT BEFORE THE ACCIDENT FLT BUT INSP BY A MECHANIC REVEALED NO DETERMINATION COULD BE MADE AS TO THE REASON FOR THE BINDING. MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS TO CAUSE BINDING OF THE ELEVATOR CONTROL WERE UNSUCCESSFUL.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,416 hours in all; 143 in this make and model; 120 in the last 90 days; 49 in the last 30 days; 2,135 as pilot in command; 1,138 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,371 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, February 28, 1991; 95 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,220 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Seaplane Services, INC.
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.