Cessna 177 accident near Baldwin City, Kansas, June 28, 2008
On June 28, 2008 at about 6:50 am local time, a Cessna 177, registered N3337T, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Baldwin City, Kansas (Vinland Valley Aerodrome airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's loss of directional control resulting from a hard landing and failure to recover from a bounced landing. Contributing to the accident was the crosswind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 28, 2008 · about 6:50 am local time
- Place
- Baldwin City, Kansas · Vinland Valley Aerodrome · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 177 · all 177s on the register
- Registration
- N3337T · registry record · serial 17700637
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was performing a crosswind landing on runway 34. During the landing flare, the airplane "bounced" on the runway and then continued to bounce several more times. The piloted raised the flaps and added full power. The attempt to execute a go-around was unsuccessful and the airplane drifted left, off of the 80-foot-wide grass runway. Realizing that he would not clear buildings near the runway, the pilot aborted the take-off and pushed forward on the yoke. The airplane struck the ground, collapsing the nose landing gear and buckling the left wing. The pilot reported that the winds were from 240 degrees and variable, 10 knots with gusts at the time. The operator also reported that more training and experience in cross-wind landings would have prevented this accident.
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
What happened, in order
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Loss of control on ground during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Pilot
- factor Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Response/compensation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 162 hours in all; 28 in this make and model; 9 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 92 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 14, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 688 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 24, 2008
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming 0-320 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: K64 Baldwin City KS
- Destination: K64 Baldwin City KS
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 34, 3,030 ft by 80 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 9 knots
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observation at 6:52 pm from KLWC, 11 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.