Cessna 177RG accident near Waterloo, Iowa, December 26, 2003
On December 26, 2003 at about 11:15 pm local time, a Cessna 177RG, registered N7575V, was substantially damaged in an accident near Waterloo, Iowa (Waterloo Muni airport). It was a personal 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 impact with a deer during landing roll. A contributing factor was the night lighting conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 26, 2003 · about 11:15 pm local time
- Place
- Waterloo, Iowa · Waterloo Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 177RG · all 177RGs on the register
- Registration
- N7575V · registry record · serial 177RG0866
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane sustained substantial damage during landing roll when it impacted a deer. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,386 hours in all; 1,059 in this make and model; 12 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: May 7, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Last flight review: March 1, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,104.4 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 3, 2003; 14.3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-AIB6D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ALO Waterloo IA at 9:00 pm
- Destination: ALO Waterloo IA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 18, 6,002 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 130° at 15 knots, gusting 21
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,800 ft; scat at 2,200 ft
- Temperature: 41°F (5°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.05 inHg
- Observation at 11:25 pm from ALO
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
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 CHI04LA051.