Cessna 177B accident near Great Valley, New York, April 7, 2021
On April 7, 2021 at about 6:08 pm local time, a 1973 Cessna 177B, registered N24RG, was destroyed in an accident during takeoff near Great Valley, New York (Great Valley Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain control during takeoff.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 7, 2021 · about 6:08 pm local time
- Place
- Great Valley, New York · Great Valley Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 177B NO SERIES, built 1973 · all 177Bs on the register
- Registration
- N24RG · no longer on the register · serial 17701953
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Witnesses who saw the accident airplane depart stated that it entered a 90° bank after becoming airborne. The airplane’s left wing struck the ground and the airplane cartwheeled and was consumed by a postimpact fire. The pilot told a responding law enforcement officer that he “lost it on the takeoff,” but later could not recall the accident. Examination of the airframe and engine revealed no mechanical deficiencies that would have precluded normal operation at the time of impact. It is likely that the pilot failed to maintain control of the airplane during takeoff, which resulted in impact with terrain.
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
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during takeoff
- Loss of control in flight during takeoff defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,142.8 hours in all; 3 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: May 31, 2021
- Medical certificate: BasicMed
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
Pilot-Rated Passenger
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,438 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,724 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 16, 2020
- Maximum gross weight: 2,500 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-360-A1F6D (piston); 1,724 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Destination: 7G0 Brockport NY
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 24, 3,800 ft by 90 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 5,000 ft; scat at 4,100 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 29.99 inHg
- Observation at 2:15 pm from OLE, 12 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
12 documents, released by the NTSB on February 24, 2023. 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 | Wintness Statement 1 | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Witness Statement 2 | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | NTSB Record of Conversation - Responding Police Officer | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | NTSB Summary of Email - FAA Interview with Pilot | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | FAA Record of Conversation - Friend of Pilot and Brockton Ny Airport Manager | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Photos | PDF, 6 pages | View Download |
| 7 | NTSB Airframe and Engine Exam Report | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 8 | Maintenance Records | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 9 | Toxicological Reports | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 10 | NTSB Autopsy Memo - Pilot Rated Passenger | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 11 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation - Textron | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 12 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation - Lycoming | PDF, 15 pages | 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.