Cessna 172XP accident near Indian Shores, Florida, July 15, 1994
On July 15, 1994 at about 8:10 pm local time, a Cessna 172XP, registered N2827V, was destroyed in an accident near Indian Shores, Florida. It was a ferry 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
A BIRD COLLISION, WHICH RESULTED IN PILOT INCAPACITATION.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 15, 1994 · about 8:10 pm local time
- Place
- Indian Shores, Florida
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172XP · all 172XPs on the register
- Registration
- N2827V · no longer on the register · serial 2231
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Ferry flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRPLANE WAS OBSERVED TO BE FLYING ABOUT 200 FT ABOVE THE WATER ALONG THE BEACH. A BYSTANDER VIDEOTAPED THE AIRPLANE AS WHAT APPEARED TO BE A LARGE BIRD COLLIDED WITH THE AIRPLANE IN THE WINDSHIELD AREA. THE AIRPLANE ROLLED INVERTED AND IMPACTED THE WATER. THE VIDEOTAPE WAS COMPUTER ENHANCED BY THE SAFETY BOARD. TWO DISTINCT DARK OBJECTS APPEARED IN FRONT OF THE AIRPLANE JUST BEFORE THE AIRPLANE PITCHED UP AND ROLLED INVERTED. ONE OF THE OBJECTS APPEARS TO STRIKE THE AIRPLANE. THE VIDEOTAPE SHOWS NUMEROUS PELICANS IN FLIGHT AND ON THE SURFACE OF THE WATER PRIOR TO THE IMPACT. THE PILOT'S FACIAL INJURIES WERE CONSISTENT WITH A WINDSHIELD SHATTERING.
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: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 596 hours in all; 7 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,786 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 8, 1994; 19 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-360K (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BKV Brooksville FL at 7:30 pm
- Destination: VNC Venice FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 13,000 ft; scat at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 32.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:50 pm from PIE, 11 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.
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.