Cessna 172H accident near St. Petersburg, Florida, February 19, 1998
On February 19, 1998 at about 9:09 pm local time, a Cessna 172H, registered N1430F, was substantially damaged in an accident near St. Petersburg, Florida (St. Petersburg/Clearwater airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
a sudden encounter with wind gusts associated with a quickly passing rain shower which resulted in a nose-over, and subsequent collision with the runway.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 19, 1998 · about 9:09 pm local time
- Place
- St. Petersburg, Florida · St. Petersburg/Clearwater · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172H · all 172Hs on the register
- Registration
- N1430F · no longer on the register · serial 17254925
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Although airport surface winds were shifting throughout the 29 minutes of practice landings, exemplified by three runway changes, the pilot had no airplane control difficulties until after his final full stop landing as he was holding short for taxi clearance back to his FBO. Wind gusts, reported by tower personnel to be about two minutes in duration, reversed direction from west to east as a rain shower traversed the field, lifted the tail until the airplane's longitudinal axis was vertical, and blew it over into an inverted position.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,521 hours in all; 1,305 in this make and model; 60 in the last 90 days; 18 in the last 30 days; 1,314 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,999 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 23, 1997; 279 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 5,165 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 010° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 4 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 5,500 ft; scat at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:21 pm from PIE, 1 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.