Cessna 177B accident near Ivanhoe, North Carolina, September 5, 2022
On September 5, 2022 at about 7:55 pm local time, a 1975 Cessna 177B, registered N35243, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Ivanhoe, North Carolina. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate preflight and inflight planning, 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
- September 5, 2022 · about 7:55 pm local time
- Place
- Ivanhoe, North Carolina · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 177B, built 1975 · all 177Bs on the register
- Registration
- N35243 · no longer on the register · serial 17702287
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was returning from a cross-country flight and planned to stop for fuel along the way; however, due to deteriorating weather conditions along his route of flight, he was unable to stop. The pilot then became distracted trying to avoid weather when the airplane’s engine lost power. The pilot further described that, “We should have landed at the nearest clear airport but got fixated on dodging rain clouds causing time consuming maneuvers to go around the storms into headwinds and unaware of fuel reserves.” He subsequently performed a forced landing to a field and struck a ditch resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage. Postaccident examination of the airplane’s intact fuel tanks revealed they were empty of useable fuel. Given this information, it is likely that during the unplanned deviations around weather, the airplane’s usable fuel supply was exhausted, which resulted in the total loss of engine power and subsequent forced landing.
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
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Weather planning › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 339 hours in all; 113 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: October 3, 2021
- Medical certificate: BasicMed
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,172.4 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 2022; 8.1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,500 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1F6D (piston); 4,180 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FFA Kill Devil Hills NC at 6:30 pm
- Destination: EYF Elizabethtown NC
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,500 ft
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 3:55 pm from KEYF, 17 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KEYF 051955Z AUTO 16008KT 10SM SCT045 31/20 A3002
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on April 27, 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 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | FAA Inspector Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Investigation Photos | PDF, 2 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.