Accident Sequence
On November 10, 2023, at 1050 eastern standard time, a Cessna 172S, registration N91PF, was operating as a 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight at Orlando Sanford International Airport (SFB), Orlando, Florida. The flight instructor and a pilot receiving instruction were conducting a touch-and-go landing on runway 9L. The pilot receiving instruction performed the landing with 10° of flaps, which extended the landing roll distance. During the landing roll, the pilot raised the flaps to 0°, added takeoff power, and as the airplane climbed through 150 feet above ground level, the engine experienced a partial loss of power.
The flight instructor declared control, verified the fuel selector was on "both" and the mixture was full rich. He maneuvered the airplane downward and added flaps to attempt a straight-ahead landing on the remaining runway, judging that insufficient altitude prevented a turnaround. The airplane bounced on the runway at high speed and approached the runway end identifier lights. The instructor retracted the flaps to 0° and attempted to add power, but the engine did not produce significant thrust. The airplane cleared the obstacle but could not climb. The instructor executed a hard landing in grass to the right of the departure end of the runway to avoid a swamp.
Postaccident Examination
The accident resulted in substantial damage: the fuselage and both wings were buckled, and the engine was partially separated from the airframe. Approximately 30 gallons of 100LL fuel was defueled from both fuel tanks at the site. After aircraft recovery, fuel was observed leaking from the fuel system. The cockpit fuel selector was in the "both" position. The propeller remained attached; the spinner was crush damaged, and one blade was bent aft midspan with no chordwise scratching or leading-edge damage.
Engine and Fuel System Examination
The engine was examined postaccident. The crankshaft turned freely through 720° with no binding or noise; all cylinders showed compression and suction. Borescope inspection revealed no anomalies; pistons and valves were intact. The engine-driven fuel pump was removed; fuel was present in lines from the pumps to the fuel servo. The fuel strainer was filled with fuel and the screen clean and unobstructed. No contamination or obstructions were found in the fuel system. Lever-action pumps functioned normally when manually operated. The servo was impact-damaged. Engine control continuity was confirmed from cockpit to engine, but preimpact positions could not be verified due to partial separation from mounts. The oil filter contained oil with no particulates. Spark plugs were normal wear and dark in color. Both magnetos produced spark when tested. A review of maintenance logbook excerpts revealed no open discrepancies.