Cessna 177B accident near Crump, Michigan, September 7, 1997
On September 7, 1997 at about 5:20 pm local time, a Cessna 177B, registered N34142, was destroyed in an accident near Crump, Michigan. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Continued flight by the non-instrument rated pilot into instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) and her failure to maintain control of the airplane, due to spatial disorientation. Related factors were the low ceiling, and the pilot's lack of instrument flight capabilities.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 7, 1997 · about 5:20 pm local time
- Place
- Crump, Michigan
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 177B · all 177Bs on the register
- Registration
- N34142 · no longer on the register · serial 17701660
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The non-instrument rated private pilot was advised by the FAA Flight Service Station (FSS) specialist that '...there have been IFR ceilings and visibilities through [your] route [of flight].' The specialist told the pilot that the ceiling about 15 miles south of the accident site was varying between 300 and 1,300-feet above the ground. The specialist told the pilot that conditions should start to improve within an hour to an hour-and-a-half after their conversation. The pilot said she'd call back in '...a half hour or so.' There was no record of the return telephone call by the pilot. About 2-hours later, the pilot contacted approach control and reported the airplane was level at 2,500-feet above mean sea level (msl). About 12 minutes later the pilot asked the controller if she could climb to 5,500- feet msl. The controller suggested she climb the airplane to 6,500-feet msl due to her northwesterly heading. The pilot advised the controller she would climb the airplane to 4,500-feet msl. Another pilot reported (PIREP) instrument meteorological conditions at 5,000-feet msl to the controller. About 4-minutes after the PIREP the pilot of the accident airplane requested a climb to 6,500-feet msl. The controller approved the climb. About a minute later the controller reported hearing a distress call from an unknown source, 'Help me. Help me.' Witnesses reported seeing the airplane exit the clouds in a steep, pitched down attitude. They reported the airplane's right wing disintegrated as it banked to the left. The airplane was destroyed during an in-flight breakup and collision with trees and the ground. No anomalies were found with the airframe, control system or engine that would have prevented flight.
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: 300 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,741 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 1, 1997
- Maximum gross weight: 2,500 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1F6 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PTK Pontiac MI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 070° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 12 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,700 ft; scat at 2,300 ft
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:46 pm from MBS, 15 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.