Cessna 177RG accident near Cloquet, Minnesota, September 30, 2016
On September 30, 2016 at about 7:30 pm local time, a 1975 Cessna 177RG, registered N1528H, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Cloquet, Minnesota (Cloquet Carlton County airport). 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
A lack of lubrication in the engine for reasons that could not be determined based on the available information, which resulted in a failure of the No. 4 connecting rod and a subsequent total loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 30, 2016 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Cloquet, Minnesota · Cloquet Carlton County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 177RG NO SERIES, built 1975 · all 177RGs on the register
- Registration
- N1528H · no longer on the register · serial 177RG0704
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, during cruise flight, the airplane's engine began making an unusual ticking sound and the oil pressure was low. The oil pressure continued to drop, and the engine began to "knock" louder until it experienced a total loss of power. The pilot attempted to glide to an airport, but the airplane had insufficient altitude and landed in a field short of the intended runway. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed that the No. 4 connecting rod had failed, and displayed signatures consistent with a lack of lubrication. The other connecting rods also exhibited signs of a lack of lubrication, and the oil pickup screen contained debris. The engine had sufficient oil in the sump, and examination of the components of the oil system failed to reveal any preimpact anomalies. The engine manufacturer recommended that engines be overhauled at least every 12 years due to possible deterioration of engine components and abnormal wear on soft metal bearing surfaces during engine start procedures. The accident engine had not been overhauled for 23 years; however, the investigation was unable to determine if or to what extent the damage to the engine was a result of the connecting rod failure or may have occurred before the failure.
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 enroute (cruise) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip eng oil sys › Not specified
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip engine power section › Failure
- factor Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › (general) › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 828 hours in all; 389 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 828 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,668 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 27, 2016; 28 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: CQM Cook MN at 6:00 pm
- Destination: 04W Hinckley MN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 4,002 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 30.35 inHg
- Observation at 7:55 pm from CQM
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on December 15, 2016. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Maintenance Record Excerpts | PDF, 13 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Lycoming Service Instruction 1009AT | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.