Cessna 177 accident near Centreville, Alabama, June 7, 2007
On June 7, 2007 at about 11:05 am local time, a Cessna 177, registered N2845X, was substantially damaged in an accident near Centreville, Alabama. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to refuel the airplane prior to fuel exhaustion, which resulted in a loss of engine power and substantial damage during a forced landing on a road.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 7, 2007 · about 11:05 am local time
- Place
- Centreville, Alabama · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 177 · all 177s on the register
- Registration
- N2845X · no longer on the register · serial 17700245
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial certificated pilot was conducting a personal cross-country flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91. The pilot told an FAA inspector that the fuel gauges read between one-quarter and empty prior to the accident flight. The engine lost power in cruise flight, and during a forced landing on a dirt road, the airplane impacted trees. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical anomalies, and that during the accident the airplane received damage to the wings, horizontal stabilizer, and fuselage. In a written report, the pilot noted that due to the small amount of fuel found at the accident site, he believed fuel exhaustion was the cause of the accident.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 10,352 hours in all; 4,920 in this make and model; 60 in the last 90 days; 18 in the last 30 days; 8,112 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 1, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,989 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 2007
- Maximum gross weight: 2,350 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 0A8 Centreville AL at 11:00 am
- Destination: A08 Marion AL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 0 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.