Cessna 177 accident near Clayton, Oklahoma, October 18, 2013
On October 18, 2013 at about 5:45 am local time, a 1968 Cessna 177, registered N30495, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Clayton, Oklahoma. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Controlled flight into terrain for reasons that could not be determined from the available evidence.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 18, 2013 · about 5:45 am local time
- Place
- Clayton, Oklahoma · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 177 A, built 1968 · all 177s on the register
- Registration
- N30495 · no longer on the register · serial 17701288
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During a night flight, about 12:45 am, the airplane impacted tall trees in mountainous terrain; the damage to the trees and witness marks on the airplane were consistent with a wings-level impact followed by a postimpact fire. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a full moon was 63 degrees above the horizon at the time of the accident. The pilot had been flying since 10:00 am the day before the accident and had been awake for at least 17 hours at the time of the accident. The pilot's wife reported that the pilot often kept late hours and had done so for the past 20 years. An examination of the airplane, engine, and related systems revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Investigators were not able to determine why the airplane impacted mountainous terrain.
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
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT) during enroute defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 22,130 hours in all; 0 in this make and model
- Last flight review: December 5, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,864 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 30, 2012
- Maximum gross weight: 2,348 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O 360-A2F (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Eagle Sky Patrol INC
The flight
- Departed from: KTQH Tahlequah OK at 4:49 am
- Destination: KTRL Terrell TX
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 7,000 ft
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.03 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 am from KMLC, 23 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.