Cessna 177 accident near North Little Ro, Arkansas, October 31, 1982
On October 31, 1982 at about 5:45 pm local time, a Cessna 177, registered N29457, was destroyed in an accident near North Little Ro, Arkansas (North Little Rock airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 31, 1982 · about 5:45 pm local time
- Place
- North Little Ro, Arkansas · North Little Rock · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 177 · all 177s on the register
- Registration
- N29457 · registry record · serial 1770900
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF, THE ENGINE LOST POWER. ONE WITNESS STATED THAT THE ENGINE DID NOT COMPLETELY QUIT. ANOTHER WITNESS REPORTED THAT IT QUIT, BUT RESTARTED AND THEN OPERATED WITH PARTIAL POWER. REPORTEDLY, THE AIRCRAFT REMAINED IN A NOSE HIGH ATTITUDE, THEN THE NOSE DROPPED AND THE PLANE CRASHED IN A LEFT-WING-LOW ATTITUDE. DURING IMPACT, FUEL LINES TO THE LEFT TANK FAILED AND FUEL DRAINED INTO THE COCKPIT. WHEN EXAMINED, THE RIGHT FUEL TANK STILL CONTAINED FUEL. THE GASCOLATOR WAS CHECKED AND WAS FOUND CONTAINING MOSTLY WATER. THE PILOT HAD NO RECOLLECTION OF HAVING MADE THE FLIGHT; HOWEVER, HE BELIEVED THAT HE DRAINED THE SUMPS, SINCE THAT WAS HIS HABIT. THERE WAS NO RECORD OF REFUELING THE AIRCRAFT WHERE IT WAS NORMALLY SERVICED.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,850 hours in all; 500 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 1,800 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,135 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 78 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,350 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Valr Flying Club
The flight
- Departed from: 1M1 North Little Ro AR at 11:35 am
- Destination: 1M1 North Little Ro AR
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 3,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 14 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 10,000 ft; scat at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 176°F (80°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
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.