Cessna 177 accident near Stockton, California, November 22, 1985
On November 22, 1985 at about 3:34 am local time, a Cessna 177, registered N3459T, was substantially damaged in an accident near Stockton, California (Stockton airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. 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
- November 22, 1985 · about 3:34 am local time
- Place
- Stockton, California · Stockton · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 177 · all 177s on the register
- Registration
- N3459T · no longer on the register · serial 17700759
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AFTER PERFORMING A PREFLIGHT INSPECTION OF HIS ACFT, THE PIC ALONG WITH A CFI WHO WAS ACTING AS HIS SAFETY PLT, AND ANOTHER PASSENGER DEPARTED. THE CFI REPORTEDLY HAD LOGGED OVER 19,000 HOURS & POSSESSED AN ATP CERTIFICATE. THE PIC DID NOT REPORT HAVING ANY MECHANICAL FAILURE/MALFUNCTION WITH ANY ACFT COMPONENT, & STATED THAT THE ACFT'S FUEL GAUGES FUNCTIONED PROPERLY. DURING A PRACTICE NDB APPROACH, THE FUEL GAUGES REGISTERED 'EMPTY' & ALL ENG PWR WAS LOST. THE PIC MADE A FORCED LANDING IN A VINEYARD FIVE MILES FROM THE DESTINATION AIRPORT. THE LEFT TANK'S FUEL CAP WAS NOT LOCATED AT THE LANDING SITE.
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
- Flight time: 422 hours in all; 64 in this make and model; 19 in the last 90 days; 341 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,374 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 29, 1985; 103 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,350 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 E2D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 020 Lodi CA at 2:40 am
- Destination: SCK Stockton CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 43°F (6°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:45 am from SCK, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
Other NTSB records under N3459T the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.