Cessna 177RG accident near Bedford, Kentucky, October 28, 2010
On October 28, 2010 at about 2:45 pm local time, a Cessna 177RG, registered N33224, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Bedford, Kentucky. 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 mechanic's failure to properly secure a fuel line when it was reinstalled during an engine inspection.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 28, 2010 · about 2:45 pm local time
- Place
- Bedford, Kentucky · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 177RG · all 177RGs on the register
- Registration
- N33224 · no longer on the register · serial 177RG0928
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that he filled the airplane's fuel tanks with full fuel prior to departing on the cross-country flight. Approximately 30 minutes into the flight, at an altitude of 3,000 feet above ground level, the engine suddenly stopped producing power. The pilot checked the fuel mixture and fuel selector settings and attempted to restore engine power but was unsuccessful. He maneuvered the airplane for a forced landing in a field and landed with the gear in the retracted position, resulting in substantial damage to the airplane's fuselage. Postaccident examination of the engine compartment by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector revealed that the flexible fuel hose that connects to the inlet fitting of the servo fuel injector was separated from the inlet fitting. No damage to any portion of the fitting or to the B-nut, or to the threads of the fitting or B-nut was noted, and there was no evidence of torque seal putty on the B-nut. There was no provision for safety wire to secure the B-nut. The most recent annual inspection was performed approximately 7 flight hours since the inspection. The mechanic who performed the annual inspection stated to an FAA inspector that he did remove the separated line during the inspection to gain access to the fuel inlet screen. He further stated that about the time of the inspection he incorporated a process of applying purple colored torque seal putty on components that he disassembled or removed.
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
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › Fuel distribution › Incorrect service/maintenance
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Scheduled/routine maintenance › Maintenance personnel
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 9,000 hours in all; 31 in this make and model; 72 in the last 90 days; 40 in the last 30 days; 9,000 as pilot in command; 1,300 on instruments
- Last flight review: January 20, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,216 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 14, 2010; 7 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A1B6D (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Panama City Beach Flying Club LLC
The flight
- Departed from: RID Richmond IN at 2:15 pm
- Destination: SYI Shelbyville TN
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.17 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 pm from LOU, 26 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.
