Cessna 177RG incident near Near Sparta, Georgia, July 15, 1982
On July 15, 1982 at about 2:15 pm local time, a Cessna 177RG, registered N33226, suffered minor damage in an incident near Near Sparta, Georgia. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this incident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 15, 1982 · about 2:15 pm local time
- Place
- Near Sparta, Georgia · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 177RG · all 177RGs on the register
- Registration
- N33226 · no longer on the register · serial 177RG0929
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED POWER FAILURE WHILE IN CRUISE FLIGHT EN ROUTE FROM WILMINGTON, NC TO ATLANTA GA. FOLLOWING THE POWER LOSS, THE PILOT LANDED GEAR UP IN AN OPEN FIELD NEAR SPARTA, GA. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE AIRCRAFT HAD LAST BEEN REFUELED ON 7-2-82 WITH 46.3 GALLONS OF 100LL AVIATION GASOLINE. SINCE THAT TIME, THE AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN FLOWN A TOTAL OF 4 HOURS AND 43 MINUTES. ON SCENE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THERE WAS NO FUEL IN THE RIGHT TANK AND 6.8 GALLONS OF AMBER COLORED FUEL IN THE LEFT TANK. ANALYSIS OF THE RECOVERED FUEL INDICATED THAT IT WAS REGULAR LEADED GASOLINE. WHILE THE FAA INSPECTORS WERE ON SCENE, THEY WERE TOLD BY A LOCAL RESIDENT THAT SHORTLY AFTER THE MISHAP, THE PILOT PURCHASED ABOUT 7 GALLONS OF AUTOMOTIVE GASOLINE FROM HIM AND HIS SON. THE WITNESS STATED THAT THE PILOT SAID THAT HE DID NOT INTEND TO FLY THE AIRPLANE WITH IT, BUT ONLY WANTED TO "SATISFY THE MAN".
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: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 17,000 hours in all; 9 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,520 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 206 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A1B6D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ILM Wilmington NC at 7:27 am
- Destination: ATL Atlanta GA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,000 ft; scat at 300 ft
- Temperature: 165°F (74°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:54 am from MCN, 50 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.