What happened
On November 17, 2025, at approximately 1900 EST, a Cessna 172N, registration N6124D, was involved in an accident near Palm Bay, Florida. The flight, operated under 14 CFR Part 91, had previously departed with full fuel tanks and completed a touch-and-go landing at Okeechobee County Airport (OBE).
While flying at approximately 2,800 feet MSL, the pilot initiated a practice emergency descent. As part of the maneuver, the pilot applied carburetor heat, reduced the throttle to idle, and established a 45-degree left bank while descending at 120 knots. Upon reaching 1,500 feet MSL, the pilot applied full power; however, the engine RPM only increased from 800 to 1,100, accompanied by engine sputtering.
The pilot attempted to troubleshoot the engine by checking the mixture, verifying carburetor heat, and testing the magnetos, but was unable to restart the engine. The pilot subsequently performed a forced landing on a road. During the landing roll, the pilot maneuvered the aircraft to the right to avoid an oncoming car, causing the right wing to strike a traffic sign. The aircraft veered into a ditch, coming to rest with the fuselage in a nearly vertical position. The accident resulted in one minor injury to the pilot and substantial damage to the wings and fuselage.
Weather
The weather conditions were Visual Meteorological Conditions (VMC) with a visibility of 10 statute miles and winds from 050 degrees at 3 knots.