Cessna 177RG accident near Lansing, Michigan, November 28, 2012
On November 28, 2012, a Cessna 177RG, registered N1912Q, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Lansing, Michigan (Capital Region Iap airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A loss of engine power due to the loss of fuel flow through the airplane's fuel tank selector valve.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 28, 2012
- Place
- Lansing, Michigan · Capital Region Iap · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 177RG · all 177RGs on the register
- Registration
- N1912Q · no longer on the register · serial 177RG0312
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, he retracted the landing gear, raised the flaps, and then reduced power during the climb. The engine then lost all power. The pilot declared an emergency and attempted a forced landing on the runway. He tried to extend the landing gear; however, it did not have sufficient time to fully extend and subsequently collapsed when the airplane touched down. The airplane skidded down the runway until coming to rest at the departure end. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the engine could not be primed when the fuel tank selector valve was in the "both" fuel tanks position. However, when the fuel tank selector valve was in the "left" tank position, fuel flow was established, the engine primed, and it ran normally. The examination could not identify what caused the observed loss of fuel flow through the fuel tank selector valve while it was in the "both" fuel tanks position.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of engine power (total) during takeoff defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Landing gear not configured during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › Fuel selector/shutoff valve › Malfunction
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Not specified
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › (general) › Failure
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 281 hours in all; 64 in this make and model; 107 in the last 90 days; 42 in the last 30 days; 191 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 10, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,700 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A1B6D (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Partners For Neighborhood Group, Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: LAN Lansing MI
- Destination: PWK Wheeling IL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 28L, 8,506 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 250° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 22,000 ft
- Temperature: 28°F (-2°C), dew point 18°F (-8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.26 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 pm from LAN
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.