Cessna 172H N8112L accident near Archer, Florida

Probable cause

The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed for undetermined reasons while maneuvering in the vicinity of an airport, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and hard landing.

NTSB analysis

The pilot was discovered in the wreckage of his airplane, one-quarter mile east of the destination airport, an estimated one hour after the accident. Before he was transported to the hospital, where he died of his injuries, he told a police detective that he did not recall the accident. A review of photographs and satellite images revealed that the pasture where the airplane came to rest was adjacent, and parallel to, the turf runway at the destination airport. The initial ground scar in the field was abeam the approach end of the runway. It could not be determined if the pilot mistook the field site for the airport, or if he attempted a forced landing there, but the dimensions and the surface conditions of the field site could have supported a normal landing. Deformation of the airframe and flight controls were consistent with a 35-degree, nose-low, high-energy impact consistent with a stall. Postaccident examination of the wreckage revealed no evidence of mechanical anomalies.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA10LA233 for the full record.