Cessna 177B accident near Columbus, Mississippi, May 31, 2025
On May 31, 2025 at about 8:33 pm local time, a 1977 Cessna 177B, registered N177LS, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach near Columbus, Mississippi (Columbus-Lowndes County airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 3 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate preflight inspection and improper in-flight decision-making, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion and a subsequent landing on rough terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 31, 2025 · about 8:33 pm local time
- Place
- Columbus, Mississippi · Columbus-Lowndes County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 3 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 177B, built 1977 · all 177Bs on the register
- Registration
- N177LS · registry record · serial 17702620
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported about 4 hours after departure while on approach to the destination airport, the engine lost total power. The pilot conducted a forced landing to a field which resulted in substantial damage to the right wing and fuselage. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the fuel tanks contained no usable fuel. After the accident, the pilot stated that he did not top off the fuel tanks at his departure airport but only “stuck” the tanks to verify the fuel level.
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
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Aircraft inspection event during prior to flight
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Rough terrain › Contributed to outcome
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Preflight inspection › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 617.9 hours in all; 456.7 in this make and model; 28.8 in the last 90 days; 8.3 in the last 30 days; 590.3 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: May 27, 2024
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,031.7 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 12, 2024
- Maximum gross weight: 2,500 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1F6D (piston); 1,857 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KORL Orlando FL at 2:58 pm
- Destination: KUBS Columbus MS
- Runway 36, 4,503 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 29.91 inHg
- Observation at 3:56 pm from KGTR, 13 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KGTR 312056Z 26004KT 10SM SCT050 27/16 A2991 RMK AO2 SLP130 T02670156 56017
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on September 18, 2025. 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 | Photo Array | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Memorandum for Record A�� FAA Inspector Emails | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Memorandum for Record A�� Recovery Company Statement | 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN25LA193.