Cessna 177RG accident near Palatine, Illinois, September 17, 2020
On September 17, 2020 at about 11:10 pm local time, a 1975 Cessna 177RG, registered N2699V, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Palatine, Illinois. 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
The loss of partial engine power due to fuel starvation during departure which resulted in a forced landing and collision with a utility pole.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 17, 2020 · about 11:10 pm local time
- Place
- Palatine, Illinois · 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
- N2699V · no longer on the register · serial 177RG0661
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Shortly after departure, the airplane’s engine lost partial power and the pilot conducted a forced landing to a road. During the landing, the airplane struck a utility pole. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and empennage. After the accident, the fuel flow/pressure gauge displayed 5.5 gallons remaining. A short engine run was conducted, and no anomalies were detected. Following the engine run, 1 gallon of fuel was drained, which according to certification documentation, is the unusable fuel. An examination of the airplane’s fuel system revealed no deficiencies. Documentation for the fuel flow/pressure gauge used by the pilot to estimate onboard fuel informs pilots that the fuel remaining is the amount based on initial pilot inputs and that it should never be the primary indicator of fuel quantity and that fuel should be visually checked or measured before takeoff. The circumstances of the accident are consistent with a partial loss of engine power due to fuel starvation
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 (partial) during enroute defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Pole › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,063 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, September 2, 2020; 29.7 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A1B6D (piston); 4,093 hours total
- Operator: Zain Aviation INC
The flight
- Departed from: PWK Wheeling IL at 11:06 pm
- Destination: 3CK Lake In The Hills IL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 020° at 6 knots
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.17 inHg
- Observation at 5:52 pm from PWK
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on April 28, 2022. 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, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Case Notes | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Photo | 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.
Other NTSB records under N2699V the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.