Cessna 177B accident near Grand Canyon, Arizona, May 31, 2004
On May 31, 2004 at about 5:00 pm local time, a Cessna 177B, registered N7PP, was substantially damaged in an accident near Grand Canyon, Arizona (Valle Airport). It was a personal 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
the pilot's inadequate compensation for crosswind conditions, which resulted in a loss of directional control.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 31, 2004 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Grand Canyon, Arizona · Valle Airport · 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
- N7PP · registry record · serial 17702368
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During the landing roll the airplane departed the runway to the right and hit a ditch. The Unicom reported winds from the northwest at 10 knots, and runway 01 in use. The pilot overflew the runway, checked the windsock, and entered for left traffic on runway 01. The pilot executed a go-around because of the wind. He came around for another attempt. As the left main wheel touched down, a gust of wind pushed the airplane off of the right side of the runway into rough terrain. The airplane collided with a rocky ditch, and nosed over.
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: 1,800 hours in all; 1,650 in this make and model; 34 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: P23 Seligman AZ
- Destination: 40G Grand Canyon AZ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 01
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.