Cessna 177 accident near Delavan, Wisconsin, August 8, 1995
On August 8, 1995 at about 4:56 pm local time, a Cessna 177, registered N9055J, was destroyed in an accident near Delavan, Wisconsin. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 4 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's failure to assure an adequate amount of fuel was available for the flight. A factor was the improperly installed fuel level transmitter.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 8, 1995 · about 4:56 pm local time
- Place
- Delavan, Wisconsin · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 177 · all 177s on the register
- Registration
- N9055J · registry record · serial 1148
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Witnesses reported seeing the airplane flying low overhead; the engine was cutting out and then quit altogether. The airplane impacted the ground in a corn field 1 hour and 26 minutes after takeoff. There was no evidence of fuel at the accident site and no signs of fuel leakage or fuel venting. The airplane impacted the ground in a 30 degree nose down pitch attitude and in a 30 degree right roll. The right fuel tank gauge indicated about 1/8 tank of fuel. The right fuel tank fuel transmitter float was caught up on the rib inside the fuel tank. An examination of the fuel level float revealed that the wire which extended past the fuel level float had not been trimmed as required and was able to contact the wing station rib #68. The fuel level transmitter was an authorized replacement part and had not been installed on the aircraft as new equipment. The engine was removed from the airplane for a test cell run, and operated normally and within performance specifications. A passenger had observed the pilot checking both fuel tanks, and the pilot indicated that there was 3-1/2 hours of fuel on board the airplane.
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: 1,681 hours in all; 1,500 in this make and model; 13 in the last 90 days; 1,587 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: None (expired)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,628 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 1, 1995; 15 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PWK Wheeling IL at 3:30 pm
- Destination: C59
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,400 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:45 pm from JVL, 22 miles away
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.