Cessna 177 accident near Americus, Georgia, July 24, 2011
On July 24, 2011 at about 11:00 pm local time, a Cessna 177, registered N30214, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Americus, Georgia (Jimmy Carter Regional Airport). It was an instructional 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 CFI and pilot's improper fuel management, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 24, 2011 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Americus, Georgia · Jimmy Carter Regional Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 177 · all 177s on the register
- Registration
- N30214 · no longer on the register · serial 17701125
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the certified flight instructor (CFI), he and the pilot departed the airport for a local, personal flight. While returning to the airport, the engine surged and then lost power. The CFI assumed control of the airplane and selected a suitable landing area for a forced landing. During the landing, after clearing a 50-foot-tall tree line, the right wing and nose wheel impacted the ground resulting in substantial damage to the wing spar and firewall. A postaccident examination revealed that both fuel tanks were empty. The CFI reported there were no preexisting mechanical anomalies with the airplane and that he did not perform a preflight of the airplane prior to the flight nor did he check the fuel level.
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
- Fuel exhaustion during enroute defining event
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Preflight inspection › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Preflight inspection › Instructor/check pilot
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Lack of action › Flight crew
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 14,649 hours in all; 154 in this make and model; 83 in the last 90 days; 22 in the last 30 days; 14,632 as pilot in command; 6,627 on instruments
- Last flight review: August 31, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 175 hours in all; 20 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 100 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 20, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,222 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 12, 2011
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ACJ Americus GA at 10:30 pm
- Destination: ACJ Americus GA
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.03 inHg
- Observation at 10:55 pm from ACJ, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 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.