Cessna 172M accident near Panacea, Florida, April 15, 1995
On April 15, 1995 at about 2:37 pm local time, a Cessna 172M, registered N19901, was substantially damaged in an accident near Panacea, Florida (Wakulla County Airport). It was a personal 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 PILOT'S FAILURE TO ATTAIN THE PROPER TOUCHDOWN POINT DURING A FORCED LANDING TO A RUNWAY. THIS RESULTED IN THE AIRPLANE ROLLING OFF THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY, AND SUBSEQUENT ON GROUND COLLISION WITH A FENCE AND A TELEPHONE BOOTH. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS A TOTAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DUE TO A SEPARATION OF THE NUMBER TWO EXHAUST VALVE HEAD FROM THE VALVE STEM FOR UNDETERMINED REASONS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 15, 1995 · about 2:37 pm local time
- Place
- Panacea, Florida · Wakulla County Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172M · all 172Ms on the register
- Registration
- N19901 · no longer on the register · serial 17260848
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT STATED HE REPORTED TO TALLAHASSEE APPROACH CONTROL THAT THE AIRPLANE'S ENGINE WAS RUNNING ROUGH. HE THEN REPORTED A TOTAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER AND DECLARED AN EMERGENCY. THE PILOT STATED HE WAS HIGH, LANDED LONG, ROLLED OFF THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY, AND THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH A FENCE AND A TELEPHONE BOOTH. EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE BY FAA REVEALED THE NUMBER TWO CYLINDER FAILED DUE TO THE EXHAUST VALVE HEAD SEPARATING FROM THE EXHAUST VALVE STEM.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 195 hours in all; 195 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 18 in the last 30 days; 135 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,600 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 1994; 150 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PFN Panama City FL
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 18, 2,880 ft by 170 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:50 pm from TLH, 20 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.