Cessna 172RG accident near Fort Lauderdale, Florida, May 20, 1993
On May 20, 1993 at about 3:38 pm local time, a Cessna 172RG, registered N5338V, was substantially damaged in an accident near Fort Lauderdale, Florida (Fort Lauderdale Executive airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE FAILURE OF THE LEFT MAIN GEAR PIVOT ASSEMBLY, RESULTING IN THE COLLAPSE OF THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR DURING THE LANDING ROLLOUT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 20, 1993 · about 3:38 pm local time
- Place
- Fort Lauderdale, Florida · Fort Lauderdale Executive · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172RG · all 172RGs on the register
- Registration
- N5338V · registry record · serial 172RG0509
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE COMMERCIAL PILOT FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR (PIC) WAS CONDUCTING AN INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT WITH A RATED PILOT AT POMPANO BEACH AIRPARK. AFTER CONDUCTING A TOUCH-AND-GO LANDING THE PIC WAS INFORMED BY THE CONTROL TOWER THAT THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR WAS IN THE TRAIL POSITION. THE PIC ACKNOWLEDGED THE RADIO CALL AND RETURNED TO THE COMPANY MAINTENANCE BASE LOCATED AT FORT LAUDERDALE EXECUTIVE AIRPORT. EN ROUTE TO THE DESTINATION AIRPORT EMERGENCY PROCEDURES WERE CONDUCTED WITH NEGATIVE RESULTS. UPON ARRIVAL THE PIC CONDUCTED A LOW PASS BY THE CONTROL TOWER AND VERIFIED THE UNSAFE GEAR CONDITION WITH A VISUAL EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE BY THE CONTROL TOWER AND AN UNSAFE LANDING GEAR LIGHT IN THE COCKPIT. THE PIC REENTERED THE TRAFFIC PATTERN AND LANDED. ON LANDING ROLLOUT THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED AND THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. NEITHER CREWMEMBER WERE INJURED. EXAMINATION OF THE LANDING GEAR BY MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL REVEALED THE MAIN GEAR PIVOT ASSEMBLY HAD FAILED.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,000 hours in all; 120 in the last 90 days; 40 in the last 30 days; 6,000 as pilot in command; 3,000 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,538 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, May 6, 1993; 30 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,650 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-F1A6 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Ate Of Florida INC.
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 8, 6,001 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 13 knots
- Sky: scat at 18,000 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:50 pm from FXE, 1 miles away
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.
Other NTSB records under N5338V 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.