Cessna 177RG accident near Janesville, Wisconsin, February 17, 1985
On February 17, 1985 at about 6:30 pm local time, a Cessna 177RG, registered N8ME, was substantially damaged in an accident near Janesville, Wisconsin (Rock CO. airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 17, 1985 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Janesville, Wisconsin · Rock CO. · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 177RG · all 177RGs on the register
- Registration
- N8ME · registry record · serial 177RG0630
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT COLLIDED WITH A SNOWBANK DURING LNDG. AN INVESTIGATION BY A QUALIFIED A&P MECH FOUND THE LOCK-O-SEAL IN THE MASTER CYLINDER HAD IMPROPER CLEARANCE. LACK OF PROPER CLEARENCE RESTRICTED RETURN FLOW OF BRAKE FLUID TO THE RESERVOIR. THIS LED TO LOCKING OF THE BRAKE ON THE LEFT MAIN LNDG GEAR AND A LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL.
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: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,105 hours in all; 7 in this make and model; 41 in the last 90 days; 1,025 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,483 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 27, 1984; 514 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A160 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DPA West Chicago IL at 6:15 pm
- Destination: JVL Janesville WI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 31, 5,396 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 14 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 25°F (-4°C), dew point 16°F (-9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:16 pm from JVL
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
Other NTSB records under N8ME 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.