Cessna 172L accident near Macclenny, Florida, June 23, 1998
On June 23, 1998 at about 4:00 am local time, a Cessna 172L, registered N3853Q, was destroyed in an accident near Macclenny, Florida. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot's attempted VFR flight into instrument meteorological conditions, resulting in a subsequent in-flight collision with trees and terrain. Contributing factors were, haze/smoke, the student pilot's failure to obtain a preflight weather briefing, the student pilot's lack of total experience in type operation, and trees.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 23, 1998 · about 4:00 am local time
- Place
- Macclenny, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172L · all 172Ls on the register
- Registration
- N3853Q · no longer on the register · serial 17259953
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot conducted a VFR cross country flight. Neither a flight plan was filed nor was a weather briefing obtained. Visibility of 2 miles in smoke and haze was reported at 1855 and 1955 hours at reporting station 13 miles to the ast of the crash site. The student pilot encountered instrument flight conditions. The airplane collided with tress and terrain fatally injuring the pilot and one passenger. The student pilot had recorded a total of 2 hours of simulated instrument flight time.
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: student
- Flight time: 91 hours in all; 34 in this make and model; 33 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,277 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 25, 1997; 118 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TBR Statesboro GA at 10:15 pm
- Destination: PMP Pompano Beach FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 2 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 12,000 ft; scat at 100 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:55 pm from NZC, 13 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.