Cessna 177 accident near Farmington, Missouri, September 1, 1990
On September 1, 1990 at about 1:00 pm local time, a Cessna 177, registered N29490, was substantially damaged in an accident near Farmington, Missouri. 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
FUEL EXHAUSTION DUE TO UNKNOWN REASONS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 1, 1990 · about 1:00 pm local time
- Place
- Farmington, Missouri · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 177 · all 177s on the register
- Registration
- N29490 · no longer on the register · serial 17700923
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRPLANE WAS ON A CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT WHEN ITS ENGINE CEASED TO RUN AFTER 4 HOURS AND 30 MINUTES. THE AIRPLANE DESCENDED FROM ALTITUDE AND WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING THE FORCED LANDING INTO A FIELD. INSPECTION OF THE UNDAMAGED FUEL TANKS REVEALED BOTH COMPLETELY EMPTY. THE AIRPLANES HOURLY RANGE, FOR THE ALTITUDE FLOWN, WOULD BE BETWEEN 7.2 AND 6.3 HOURS DEPENDING UPON WETHER THE FUEL TANKS WERE FILLED TO THE TOP OR UP TO THE BOTTOM OF THE FUEL TANK FILLER NECK. FUEL TANK FILLER CAP GASKETS WERE FOUND MODERATELY DETERIORATED AND LEAKED SMALL AMOUNTS OF FUEL WHEN THE WING TANKS CONTAINED FUEL AND WERE INVERTED.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 761 hours in all; 44 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,350 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 1FO Ardmore OK at 8:15 am
- Destination: MVN Mt. Vernon IL
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 4 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 12:15 pm from GCI, 53 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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.
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.