Cessna 177B accident near Oneonta, Alabama, February 11, 1989
On February 11, 1989 at about 3:30 pm local time, a Cessna 177B, registered N34306, was destroyed in an accident near Oneonta, Alabama. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT BY THE PILOT AND FUEL EXHAUSTION. TREES CONTRIBUTED TO THE AIRCRAFT DAMAGE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 11, 1989 · about 3:30 pm local time
- Place
- Oneonta, Alabama · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 177B · all 177Bs on the register
- Registration
- N34306 · no longer on the register · serial 17701758
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRPLANE WAS LAST 'TOPPED OFF' WITH FUEL ON 1/28/89, THEN WAS FLOWN ON 4 FLTS FOR A TOTAL OF 5.5 HRS. DRG THAT TIME,AN ADDITIONAL 20 GAL OF FUEL WAS ADDED. BEFORE THE ACDNT FLT, THE PLT NOTED THE FUEL LEVEL WAS LOW, SO HE ELECTED TO FLY TO A NEARBY ARPT TO REFUEL. SHORTLY AFTER STARTING THE FLIGHT, THE ENGINE LOST POWER & THE PLT WAS FORCED TO LAND IN TREES. ONLY ABOUT 1 PINT OF FUEL WAS FOUND IN THE ACFT AFTER THE ACDNT.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 262 hours in all; 10 in this make and model; 17 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,052 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 12, 1988; 38 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,500 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: 8A0 Albertville AL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.