Cessna 140 accident near Niceville, Florida, January 18, 1993
On January 18, 1993 at about 2:40 pm local time, a Cessna 140, registered N89968, was substantially damaged in an accident near Niceville, Florida. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER FOR UNDETERMINED REASONS OVER TERRAIN THAT WAS NOT SUITABLE FOR THE SUBSEQUENT FORCED LANDING.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 18, 1993 · about 2:40 pm local time
- Place
- Niceville, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 140 · all 140s on the register
- Registration
- N89968 · registry record · serial 9020
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRPLANE WAS ABOUT 200 FEET AGL ON TAKEOFF WHEN THE ENGINE SPUTTERED AND QUIT. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED A FORCED LANDING IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA AND THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH TREES. EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE, FUEL, AIR INDUCTION, AND IGNITION SYSTEMS REVEALED NO PREACCIDENT FAULTS OR FAILURES.
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; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,790 hours in all; 975 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 2,528 as pilot in command; 767 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,362 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 19, 1992; 12 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,450 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: Holt FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 100° at 2 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; scat at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:55 pm from VPS, 8 miles away
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 MIA93FA051.