Cessna 172N accident near Okeechobee, Florida, November 8, 1991
On November 8, 1991 at about 5:09 am local time, a Cessna 172N, registered N739WS, was destroyed in an accident near Okeechobee, Florida. It was a public-use flight under public-use (government) rules. 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE DURING A LOW PASS AT NIGHT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE THE PILOT'S LIKELY SPATIAL DISORIENTATION DUE TO THE LACK OF SURFACE VISUAL CLUES, THE DARK NIGHT CONDITIONS, AND THE PATCHY FOG CONDITIONS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 8, 1991 · about 5:09 am local time
- Place
- Okeechobee, Florida
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N739WS · no longer on the register · serial 17270870
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Public-use flight · public-use (government) rules
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTING AN AERIAL RECONNAISSANCE LOOKING FOR 2 MISSING FISHERMEN ON LAKE OKEECHOBEE. WHILE DESCENDING TO 125 FT AGL, A BOAT WAS SPOTTED OFF THE LEFT WING. THE AIRPLANE TURNED TOWARDS THE BOAT DESCENDING WITH THE LANDING LIGHT ON. WHILE OVERFLYING THE BOAT, THE LANDING LIGHT WAS TURNED OFF AND THEN BACK ON. THE PILOT LATER STATED THE LIGHT ILLUMINATED WHAT APPEARED TO BE HAZE, WITH NO VISUAL SIGHTING OF THE WATER. THE AIRPLANE THEN COLLIDED WITH THE WATER AND NOSED OVER. WITNESSES STATED THAT THE NIGHT WAS VERY DARK WITH PATCHY GROUND FOG.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,479 hours in all; 1,395 in this make and model; 28 in the last 90 days; 4,479 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 H2AD (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Okeechobee CO Sheriff'S Office
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 300° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; scat at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 29.89 inHg
- Observation at 4:50 am from PBI, 35 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.