Cessna 177 accident near Hopkinton, Rhode Island, November 8, 2016
On November 8, 2016 at about 7:15 pm local time, a 1969 Cessna 177, registered N30703, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Hopkinton, Rhode Island. 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 failure to accurately determine the airplane's fuel quantity before the flight, which resulted in a total 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
- November 8, 2016 · about 7:15 pm local time
- Place
- Hopkinton, Rhode Island · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 177 B, built 1969 · all 177s on the register
- Registration
- N30703 · no longer on the register · serial 17701412
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot planned to fly the airplane to another airport to purchase fuel. Before departing, he used a wooden stick to estimate the airplane's fuel level. While en route, the engine abruptly lost power. The pilot was unable to restart the engine and executed a forced landing to a field; the airplane struck trees, which resulted in substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. Postaccident examination of the accident site, the airplane's fuel tanks, and components of the airplane's fuel system revealed only trace quantities of fuel. Thus, it is likely that the pilot overestimated the airplane's fuel quantity before departing on the flight and that the engine lost power due to fuel exhaustion.
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
- Aircraft inspection event during prior to flight
- 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 Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid management
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Preflight inspection › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,517 hours in all; 37 in this make and model; 14 in the last 90 days; 1,480 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 1, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,461.3 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 6, 2015
- Maximum gross weight: 2,500 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A1B6D (piston); 2,587 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: IJD Willimantic CT at 7:00 pm
- Destination: 08R West Kingston RI
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 59°F (15°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from KWST, 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
5 documents, released by the NTSB on November 4, 2019. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Interview Summaries (Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Photo Array | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | FAA Inspector's Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Excerpt from POH | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.