Cessna 172N N737TP

Summary

On 20 July 2014 at about 18:46 local time, a Cessna 172N registered N737TP, operated by Dean International Inc, was involved in an accident near Elliott Key, Florida, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

20 July 2014 at 18:46

Classification

Accident

Location

Elliott Key, Florida, United States

Coordinates

25.4381, -80.2000

Aircraft

Cessna 172N

Registration

N737TP

Category

Airplane

Year built

1977

Engines

1

Operator

Dean International Inc

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Miami → Miami

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA14LA346

1 person died.

The airplane’s vertical descent into water for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident airplane examinations revealed no mechanical anomalies.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The student pilot departed on a local, solo instructional flight. According to the flight instructor, the student was briefed to complete three takeoffs and landings and to stay in the airport traffic pattern. Instead, the student completed one takeoff and landing and then departed the airport traffic pattern. Witnesses reported seeing the airplane in level flight about 2 hours later over the ocean 20 miles from the departure airport. Two witnesses said that the airplane's nose "pitched up" momentarily before the airplane descended vertically at "full power." One witness described the sound of the engine as "wide open" and noted that it was accelerating throughout the descent. All of the witnesses said that the airplane went "straight down" and that it did not rotate. Examination of the wreckage revealed damage consistent with a vertical descent at high speed and no preimpact mechanical anomalies. The autopsy report determined that the cause of death was "airplane crash." For the airplane to descend straight down, the forward pressure on the yoke must be increased proportionally with the increase in airspeed. If control positions remained constant, the dive would shallow out as it progressed.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.