Cessna 177 accident near Cortland, Illinois, July 27, 2023
On July 27, 2023 at about 5:30 pm local time, a 1969 Cessna 177, registered N30632, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach near Cortland, Illinois. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s improper fuel planning, that resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion, and a subsequent forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 27, 2023 · about 5:30 pm local time
- Place
- Cortland, Illinois · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 177 B, built 1969 · all 177s on the register
- Registration
- N30632 · registry record · serial 17701371
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot and the passenger were conducting a personal cross-country flight. While on approach to the airport, which was a planned fuel stop, the airplane sustained a total loss of engine power. The pilot performed a forced landing to a corn field and the airplane came to rest nose-down. The two occupants were extracted from the airplane by first responders. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage. The pilot reported to first responders that the airplane “ran out of fuel.” The pilot did not report any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or the engine that would have precluded normal operation.
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 approach defining event
- Loss of engine power (total) during approach
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
- Collision during takeoff/land during landing
- Preflight or dispatch event during prior to flight
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 109 hours in all; 4 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 39 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 19, 2023
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,200.5 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 14, 2022; 69.7 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,500 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming Engines O-360-A1F6 (piston); 1,342 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: EVV Evansville IN at 3:10 pm
- Destination: DKB Dekalb IL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,400 ft
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 12:15 pm from KDKB, 1 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KDKB 271715Z AUTO 19003KT 10SM BKN034 30/23 A3000 RMK AO2 T03000234
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on September 21, 2023. 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 | Accident Photographs | PDF, 6 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Memorandum for Record A�� Dekalb County Sheriff's Office | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Additional Information - Federal Aviation Administration | PDF, 4 pages | 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.