Cessna 170 accident near Orlando, Florida, January 10, 1998
On January 10, 1998 at about 5:40 pm local time, a Cessna 170, registered N48021, was substantially damaged in an accident near Orlando, Florida (Orlando Executive airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
failure of the the left brake to operate, due to a bad o-ring; and subsequent failure of the pilot to maintain directional control of the airplane during landing rollout, resulting in a ground loop and subsequent on-ground encounter with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 10, 1998 · about 5:40 pm local time
- Place
- Orlando, Florida · Orlando Executive · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 170 · all 170s on the register
- Registration
- N48021 · no longer on the register · serial 27087
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was making a wheel landing on runway 25 with the wind from 320 degrees at 5 knots. During the landing, the airplane started to veer to the right. Reportedly, the pilot lost directional control, and the airplane continued to the right. Subsequently, the left main gear collapsed, and the left wing collided with the ground and was damaged. During repair, the left brake master cylinder was determined to be inoperative due to a bad o-ring.
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: 1,248 hours in all; 412 in this make and model; 42 in the last 90 days; 25 in the last 30 days; 1,144 as pilot in command; 71 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 10,951 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 8, 1997; 117 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LEE Leesburg FL at 5:20 pm
- Destination: ORL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 25, 5,998 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:00 pm from ORL
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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 N48021 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.