Cessna 177B accident near London, Ohio, September 17, 2017
On September 17, 2017 at about 8:00 pm local time, a 1975 Cessna 177B, registered N35170, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near London, Ohio. It was an instructional 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
The flight instructor's inadequate in-flight fuel management, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 17, 2017 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- London, Ohio · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 177B B, built 1975 · all 177Bs on the register
- Registration
- N35170 · no longer on the register · serial 17702245
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor and the student pilot were in a cruise descent toward the destination airport when the engine experienced a total loss of power. The instructor performed a forced landing to a corn field, during which the airplane sustained substantial damage. The instructor reported that the airplane had 25 gallons of fuel onboard before takeoff and that the duration of the accident flight was 1.3 hours. Due to a recent engine overhaul, the instructor was operating the airplane at a high power setting with the mixture full rich. He noted that, during previous flights, the fuel consumption was about 11 gallons per hour and calculated that the airplane should have burned about 14.3 gallons of fuel during the accident flight. Since the engine was not being operated at normal cruise power settings, fuel burn based on information in the pilot's operating handbook could not be calculated; however, examination of the airplane after the accident revealed no usable fuel remaining in either wing fuel tank, and no breaches of the fuel system. Subsequent testing revealed no fuel leakage and no excessive fuel consumption during ground runs. Based on the available evidence, it is likely that the engine lost power due to fuel exhaustion; however, whether the pilot overestimated the fuel quantity before departure or underestimated the fuel consumption during the flight could not be determined.
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
- Fuel exhaustion during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid management
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,825 hours in all; 18 in this make and model; 239 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 7,367 as pilot in command; 482 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Flight time: 3 hours in all; 3 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,054 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 21, 2017; 17 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,348 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1F6D (piston); 2,071 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: UYF London OH at 6:15 pm
- Destination: UYF London OH
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.10 inHg
- Observation at 7:47 pm from TZR, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on August 8, 2018. 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 | Results of Post-accident Testing | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Record of Conversation with Fsdo Inspector | PDF, 1 page | 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.