Cessna 177RG accident near Tallapoosa, Georgia, November 26, 2011
On November 26, 2011 at about 6:33 pm local time, a Cessna 177RG, registered N5AW, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Tallapoosa, Georgia. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the No. 2 rod end cap bolt, which resulted in a total loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 26, 2011 · about 6:33 pm local time
- Place
- Tallapoosa, Georgia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 177RG · all 177RGs on the register
- Registration
- N5AW · no longer on the register · serial 177RG-0320
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was in cruise flight at 4,000 feet when the pilot declared an emergency due to low engine oil pressure and requested radar vectors to the nearest airport. The pilot received radar vectors to fly direct to the nearest airport. Shortly thereafter, the pilot advised the air traffic controller that he was unable to reach the airport and was going to land in a field. According to a witness adjacent the field, the airplane flew at a low altitude over his home, and it made a sharp, banking turn in an attempt to land in the field. The airplane was unable to land in the clearing and collided with a tree line at the end of a field, and a postcrash fire ensued. During the postaccident examination of the engine the left and right crankcase halves were found fractured between the No. 1 and No. 2 cylinder base pads. The No. 2 crankshaft journal was visible through the crankcase fracture, and no connecting rod was observed on the journal. Further examination of the No. 2 cylinder rod cap and the related bolt pieces revealed that the rod cap was fractured. Examination revealed that the bearing shells for the No. 3 and No. 4 cylinders displayed severe abrasive wear on the bearing surfaces. It is likely that due to the failure of the No. 2 rod end cap bolt, the rod end cap came loose, which resulted in a fracture of the case halves and subsequent loss of engine oil. After the loss of engine oil, the engine seized, which resulted in a total loss of engine power.
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
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip eng cyl section › Failure
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Rough terrain › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 975 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,941 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 1, 2011
- Maximum gross weight: 2,500 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A1B6D (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: DKX Knoxville TN at 4:42 pm
- Destination: ECP Panama City FL
- Flight plan: IFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,600 ft; scat at 2,900 ft
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.19 inHg
- Observation at 6:35 pm from CTJ, 11 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.