Cessna 177 accident near Franklin, Virginia, December 26, 2022
On December 26, 2022 at about 8:35 pm local time, a 1973 Cessna 177, registered N177D, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Franklin, Virginia (Franklin Regional Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from trees during the initial climb following an aborted precautionary landing. Contributing to the outcome were the inoperative runway lights, which reduced the likelihood that the pilot could successfully land the airplane on the runway at night.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 26, 2022 · about 8:35 pm local time
- Place
- Franklin, Virginia · Franklin Regional Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 177 B, built 1973 · all 177s on the register
- Registration
- N177D · registry record · serial 17702012
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot departed with full fuel tanks for the cross-country flight with a planned fuel stop en route. As the pilot neared the fuel stop airport, the fuel gauges indicated 3/4 capacity remaining, so he elected to continue to his destination airport. When the flight was 38 miles from the destination, with the fuel selector on the right tank position, the engine “started sputtering.” He then moved the fuel selector to the left tank position and turned the airplane towards a diversion airport. He checked the weather and NOTAMs for the diversion airport and noted nothing that concerned him. As he approached the diversion airport, he keyed the airplane’s radio transmitter 5 times and then 7 times on the common traffic advisory frequency to turn on the runway lights, but they did not turn on (the end of civil twilight had occurred about an hour prior). Concerned about the airplane’s fuel level, he landed but did not know how far down the runway he had landed. He described that the approach was “too fast” and the airplane bounced. After touching down, he applied the brakes but realized he would be unable to stop the airplane on the remaining portion of the runway. He added full power, started to climb, and thinking that the airplane had climbed higher than it actually had, he then banked left. The airplane’s left wing then collided with trees substantially damaging it and bringing the airplane to a stop. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. He also stated that had he known the runway lights were inoperative, he would have diverted to a different airport. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed the airplane’s radios were tuned to the correct frequency to activate the runway lights. According to the airport manager the, pilot-controlled lighting system at the airport was normally checked on the 1st day of every month and had been last checked 25 days before the accident. Following the accident, he discovered that they were inoperative. Given this information, it is possible that the pilot could have performed a successful landing had the runway lights been operational.
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
- Airport occurrence during approach
- Collision during takeoff/land during initial climb defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Awareness of condition
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Operating environment › Airport facilities/design › Airport lighting › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 594 hours in all; 578 in this make and model; 43 in the last 90 days; 542 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 17, 2021
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,102 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 18, 2022
- Maximum gross weight: 2,500 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1F6D (piston); 5,102 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ZPH Zephyrhills FL at 4:17 pm
- Destination: EYF Elizabethtown NC
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 9, 4,977 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 38°F (3°C), dew point 2°F (-17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.27 inHg
- Observation at 8:35 pm from FKN, 1 miles away
Weather report (METAR): FKN 26/2035 30.27 38 2 22 0 0 10.0 CLR
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ERA23LA094.