Cessna 177B accident near Hinkley, California, September 2, 2000
On September 2, 2000 at about 8:59 pm local time, a Cessna 177B, registered N30955, was substantially damaged in an accident near Hinkley, California. It was a ferry 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
Loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion when the pilot became lost and disoriented.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 2, 2000 · about 8:59 pm local time
- Place
- Hinkley, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 177B · all 177Bs on the register
- Registration
- N30955 · no longer on the register · serial 17701565
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Ferry flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The purpose of the flight was to ferry the airplane to another airport, approximately 20 minutes away, for repairs. The airplane departed the first airport at 0930 the day of the accident, and traveled to the accident site approximately 76 sm away. At 1400, the sheriff's department was notified of an airplane accident and subsequently responded to the location. When the deputy interviewed the pilot, he stated that he had been flying for 2 1/2 hours and was confused as to where he was and how he had gotten there. The pilot reported that he made a forced landing when he noted that his fuel tank gage read empty. He landed on a dirt road and on the landing rollout struck a berm, became airborne again, and came to rest on the main landing gear after colliding with an obstruction. Retrieval personnel reported that they recovered 2 gallons of fuel per wing. According to the aircraft manufacturer, the airplane has a total fuel capacity of 50 gallons; usable fuel is 24.5 gallons in each fuel tank, and .5 gallons of fuel in each fuel tank is unusable. Fuel burn at 2,300-2,400 rpm's was approximately 10 gallons per hour with endurance of about 4.9 hours of flight time. The accident was reported about 1 month later after the airplane was established to have substantial damage.
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; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,397 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,518 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 21, 1998; 26 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,500 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1F6 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PSP Palm Springs CA at 6:59 pm
- Destination: L22 Yucca Valley CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 35 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 16,000 ft; scat at 7,000 ft
- Temperature: 226°F (108°C), dew point 113°F (45°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:57 pm from DAG, 23 miles away
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.