Cessna 172 accident near Crystal River, Florida, November 3, 1997
On November 3, 1997 at about 5:50 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N4105F, was substantially damaged in an accident near Crystal River, Florida (Crystal River 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 certified flight instructors improper supervision of the rated pilot during a crosswind landing resulting in an in-flight collision with the left wing of the airplane and the runway, subsequent loss of directional control on landing rollout, and collision with an embankment.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 3, 1997 · about 5:50 pm local time
- Place
- Crystal River, Florida · Crystal River Airport
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N4105F · no longer on the register · serial 46005
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The certified flight instructor stated the rated student pilot was making a crosswind landing. He encountered a strong gust of wind, lifting the right wing up. The left wing collided with the runway. The airplane veered to the left, departed the runway, and collided with an embankment.
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 single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,867 hours in all; 320 in this make and model; 45 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 4,800 as pilot in command; 11 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 16, 1997
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300D-2-2 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Crystal Aero Group INC
The flight
- Departed from: X-41 Inverness FL at 4:30 pm
- Destination: X-31
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 4,300 ft by 60 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 7,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Observation at 5:51 pm from GNV, 55 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.
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.