Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during takeoff.
NTSB analysis
The pilot engaged one notch of flaps and applied brakes and full power to initiate a short-field takeoff from a dirt road. Shortly after takeoff, a gust of wind struck the airplane, and the airplane subsequently turned left. The airplane’s nose impacted a barbed wire fence, the right wing struck a tree, and the airplane flipped inverted into a ditch, which resulted in substantial damage to the right wing and vertical stabilizer. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA13CA137 for the full record.
Event
- Date
- Feb 18, 2013
- Type
- Accident
- Place
- Okeechobee, Florida
- Nearest airport
- None (None)
- Highest injury
- Minor
- Minor injuries
- 1
- Weather
- Visual (VMC)
- Light
- Day
Cessna 172N
- N-number
- N6249D
- Category
- Airplane
- Damage
- Substantial
- Operating rule
- Part 91 (general aviation)
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
From the NTSB aviation accident database: N-registered aircraft, events since 2008, data through Oct 28, 2026. The file is published monthly, so the latest weeks are incomplete and recent records can change. The official source is the NTSB aviation investigation search. CheckAero is independent and not affiliated with the NTSB.