Cessna 177B accident near Perry, Missouri, April 12, 1996
On April 12, 1996 at about 8:49 am local time, a Cessna 177B, registered N19884, was destroyed in an accident near Perry, Missouri. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's impairment of judgment and performance due to alcohol, and his failure to maintain altitude/clearance from the power transmission wires. Darkness, restricting the pilot's ability to see-and-avoid the transmission line, was a related factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 12, 1996 · about 8:49 am local time
- Place
- Perry, Missouri · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 177B · all 177Bs on the register
- Registration
- N19884 · no longer on the register · serial 1770261
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane collided with electrical power lines that were about 700 feet downstream from a dam and about 125 feet above water. The surviving passenger stated that he and the pilot had consumed some beer at his home. After consuming the beer, the passenger said they went to a local restaurant and lounge remaining there until about 0130. The passenger said he and the pilot left the restaurant with two friends that they had met at the restaurant. One of the friends bought a 12 pack of beer en route to the airport. The pilot and three passengers flew for about an hour before descending near a dam. The passenger said the pilot told him he wanted to get a closer look at the dam. Also, the passenger said that before the airplane crashed, he saw the dam above the airplane's front window, then he heard the airplane hit something and saw sparks. Toxicology tests at the FAA CAMI laboratory showed the pilot had ethanol levels of 130 mg/dl in blood, 135 mg/dl in vitreous fluid, and 179 mg/dl in urine.
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: 185 hours in all; 91 in this make and model; 118 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 659 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 1, 1905
- Maximum gross weight: 2,500 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1F6D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: H41 Mexico MO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 200° at 14 knots, gusting 19
- Visibility: 12 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 20,000 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:52 am from UIN, 36 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 | 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.