Cessna 177B accident near Fallon, Nevada, June 15, 2005
On June 15, 2005 at about 1:35 pm local time, a Cessna 177B, registered N177BJ, was substantially damaged in an accident near Fallon, Nevada (Fallon Municipal Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's inadequate preflight planning, which resulted in fuel exhaustion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 15, 2005 · about 1:35 pm local time
- Place
- Fallon, Nevada · Fallon Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 177B · all 177Bs on the register
- Registration
- N177BJ · no longer on the register · serial 17701655
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane lost engine power and impacted terrain short of the runway. The pilot reported that work was going to be done on the fuel gauges later that morning. In order for the work to be done, all the fuel had to be drained from the airplane. The pilot stated that he measured the fuel levels and decided that he had enough for a 1-hour flight, and decided to practice touch-and-go landings. The pilot made two successful touch-and-goes. On his third takeoff, about halfway down the runway, at 40-50 feet above ground level, the engine lost power. The pilot stated that he prepared for an emergency landing beyond the runway. At that point, the engine regained power, and the airplane began to climb in order to turn back around towards the runway. Before completing the turn, the engine lost power again. The airplane impacted terrain about 1/4-mile from the airport. No fuel was found in the strainer and about 1 cup of fuel was recovered from the fuel reservoir tank. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane.
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: 899 hours in all; 500 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1F6 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FLX Fallon NV at 1:00 pm
- Destination: FLX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 21, 5,703 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; a few clouds at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 59°F (15°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 29.92 inHg
- Observation at 8:56 pm from KNFL
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.