Working record · subject to change
Preliminary narrative
On May 22, 2026, about 1518 eastern daylight time, a Textron Aviation 172S, N294PL, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Jupiter Farms, Florida. The flight instructor and student pilot were not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight. The flight instructor reported that the airplane departed the North Palm Beach County General Aviation Airport (F45), West Palm Beach, Florida, with a total of 56 gallons of fuel onboard. About 40 minutes into the flight, while at an altitude of about 1,800 ft mean sea level (msl), during a practice climb, the flight instructor observed a decrease in engine rpm from 2,400 to 2,200. The flight instructor assumed control of the airplane; however, the engine rpm continued to decrease followed by a total loss of engine power. Unable to restart the engine, the flight instructor conducted an emergency landing in a plowed field, which resulted in substantial damage to the right wing. The airplane was recovered and retained for further examination.