Cessna 177 accident near New Lothrop, Michigan, May 22, 1991
On May 22, 1991, a Cessna 177, registered N548EC, was substantially damaged in an accident near New Lothrop, Michigan. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FUEL EXHAUSTION AND MISJUDGED FUEL CALCULATIONS BY THE PILOT. A FACTOR WAS THE LACK OF SUITABLE TERRAIN AVAILABLE FOR AN EMERGENCY LANDING.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 22, 1991
- Place
- New Lothrop, Michigan · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 177 · all 177s on the register
- Registration
- N548EC · registry record · serial 17702505
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PVT PILOT SAID THAT WHILE FLYING A CROSS COUNTRY TRIP WITH THREE PASSENGERS THE ENGINE LOST POWER. AND EMERGENCY LANDING WAS ATTEMPTED IN A FARM FIELD WHICH RESULTED IN SUBSTANTIAL AIRFRAME DAMAGE. POST ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE POWER LOSS WAS DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION.
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
- Flight time: 100 hours in all; 50 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,500 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1FGD (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Y04 Traverse City MI at 11:40 pm
- Destination: 3DA Flushing MI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 060° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 15,000 ft; not recorded at 15,000 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.