Cessna 177RG accident near Tocsin, Indiana, May 28, 1998
On May 28, 1998 at about 11:30 pm local time, a Cessna 177RG, registered N1849Q, was substantially damaged in an accident near Tocsin, Indiana (Lazy K airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's failure to obtain adequate airspeed during the takeoff climb and the resulting inadvertant stall. A factor in the accident was the pilot's premature raising of the flaps.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 28, 1998 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Tocsin, Indiana · Lazy K · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 177RG · all 177RGs on the register
- Registration
- N1849Q · no longer on the register · serial 177RG0249
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated the engine was running normally, but the airplane did not seem to want to climb during the takeoff. The pilot stated he raised the landing gear near the end of the runway at which time the stall horn activated. He then raised the flaps from 10 degrees to fully retracted and made a turn to avoid wires ahead of him. He stated the airplane then 'mushed' into the terrain. Post accident inspection of the airplane and engine failed to reveal any reason why the airplane would not have been capable of obtaining a normal rate of climb during the takeoff.
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: 192 hours in all; 14 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,770 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 18, 1997; 50 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 0IN2
- Destination: 0IN2
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 2,900 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 17 knots
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:54 am from FWA, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.