Cessna 177A accident near Kirksville, Missouri, November 3, 1996
On November 3, 1996 at about 8:30 pm local time, a Cessna 177A, registered N30614, was substantially damaged in an accident near Kirksville, Missouri. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 3 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
an improper maintenance overhaul by company maintenance personnel which led to a bearing failure. The soft terrain was a factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 3, 1996 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Kirksville, Missouri · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 3 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 177A · all 177As on the register
- Registration
- N30614 · no longer on the register · serial 17701361
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane had been flying about 3 minutes when the pilot heard a slapping sound. This sound was followed by a windshield covered with oil, a violent shake from the engine, and smoke in the cockpit. The pilot made a forced landing in field. When the nosewheel touched the field's surface, the airplane nosed over onto its back. An examination of the engine revealed the #2 rod was broken at its crankshaft attachment point. The crankshaft journal was black/blue in color and had multiple grooves around its surface. The bearing was the separated in many pieces of various sizes. These pieces were also black/blue in color. According to the pilot, the engine was overhauled 224 hours before the accident. Paperwork associated with the overhaul showed that the engine was being disassembled due to metal chips in the oil filter and a spun connecting rod bearing on cylinder #3. The engine's overhaul was its first since it was new.
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: 1,134 hours in all; 421 in this make and model; 16 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 1,074 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,216 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 10, 1996; 18 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,500 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A2F (piston); 0 hours total
- Not recorded
The flight
- Departed from: IRK
- Destination: IRK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 14 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; clear
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:45 pm from IRK, 4 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 2 |
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.