Cessna 402B accident near Lantana, Florida, January 11, 1992
On January 11, 1992 at about 4:47 pm local time, a Cessna 402B, registered N3767C, was destroyed in an accident near Lantana, Florida (Palm Beach County Park airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT IN COMMANDS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN AIRSPEED ABOVE SINGLE ENGINE MINIMUM CONTROL SPEED RESULTING IN AN INFLIGHT LOSS OF CONTROL AND COLLISION WITH TERRAIN. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE PILOT IN COMMAND'S FAILURE TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY AND REQUEST PRIORITY LANDING AND HIS DECISION TO FOLLOW A SLOWER AIRCRAFT IN THE PATTERN.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 11, 1992 · about 4:47 pm local time
- Place
- Lantana, Florida · Palm Beach County Park · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 402B · all 402Bs on the register
- Registration
- N3767C · registry record · serial 402B0617
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
FLT DEPARTED AND UPON REACHING A POINT APPROX 35 MILES NORTH OF ARPT PLT REQUESTED RETURN TO ARPT FROM ATC. PLT DID NOT DECLARE EMERGENCY OR REPORT AN ENGINE PROBLEM. UPON ENTERING TRAFFIC PATTERN AT UNCONTROLLED ARPT PLT STATED HE WOULD FOLLOW A CESSNA 152 FOR LANDING. ON SHORT FINAL ACFT WAS SEEN MAKING S TURNS TO MAINTAIN SPACING BEHIND 152. PLT THEN DECLARED HE HAD AN ENGINE SHUTDOWN AND NEEDED TO LAND. 152 WAS IN LANDING FLARE AND LANDED. WITH 152 ON RUNWAY PLT ATTEMPTED A GO AROUND WITH FULL FLAPS EXTENDED, GEAR DOWN, LEFT ENG SHUTDOWN, AND AT A SLOW AIRSPEED. ACFT ROLLED TO LEFT UPON APPLICATION OF RIGHT ENG POWER AND NOSED DOWN FROM WHICH IT CRASHED. THE NUMBER TWO CYLINDER OF THE LEFT ENG HAD SUFFERED SEPARATION OF THE HEAD FROM THE BARREL. PLT LOGBOOK DID NOT REFLECT PLT HAVING CURRENT BIENNIAL FLT REVIEW.
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, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 10,400 hours in all; 300 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 9,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,501 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 4, 1991; 75 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,300 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520-E (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: CRG Jacksonville FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 33, 3,485 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:50 pm from PBI, 5 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.
Other NTSB records under N3767C the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.