Cessna 177B accident near Tehachapi, California, March 7, 1986
On March 7, 1986 at about 7:13 pm local time, a Cessna 177B, registered N18174, was substantially damaged in an accident near Tehachapi, California (Tehachapi airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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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 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 7, 1986 · about 7:13 pm local time
- Place
- Tehachapi, California · Tehachapi · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 177B · all 177Bs on the register
- Registration
- N18174 · registry record · serial 17702535
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AFTER DETERMINING THE TAKEOFF WT OF THE ACFT WOULD BE OVER THE MAX GROSS, THE PLT ASKED THE OPERATOR THE DAY BEFORE THE ACCIDENT TO DRAIN 20 GALS OF FUEL FROM THE TANKS.A PLT WHO FLEW THE ACFT PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT FLT SAID HE FLEW FOR ABOUT ONE HOUR AND DID NOT REFUEL THE ACFT DUE TO A BROKEN GAS PIT FUEL PUMP. THE ARPT MGR SAID HE REMOVED 15 GALS FROM THE TANKS THE NIGHT BEFORE THE ACCIDENT FLT, BUT DID NOT LOOK IN THE TANKS PRIOR TO THE DEFUELING. ON THE DAY OF DEPT THE PLT PREFLIGHTED THE ACFT BUT DID NOT USE A DIP STICK TO CHECK THE ACTUAL FUEL QUANTITY. THE PLT SAID WHEN THE ACFT MASTER SWITCH WAS ENERGIZED THE RT FUEL GAUGE READ 'ALMOST EMPTY' AND THE LT GAUGE 'LESS THAN ONE HALF.' THE PLT SAID HE 'ASSUMED THE GAUGES WERE INCORRECT' AND DEPARTED IFR FOR THE DESTINATION. ABOUT 2.8 HRS INTO THE FLT IN IFR CONDITIONS, THE ENGINE QUIT AND THE PLT MADE A FORCED LANDING ON A DIRT ROAD. EXAMINATION OF THE ACFT REVEALED CONTINUITY OF THE FUEL SYSTEM AND NO FUEL IN THE ACFT.
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: 247 hours in all; 7 in this make and model; 38 in the last 90 days; 22 in the last 30 days; 191 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,590 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 27, 1985; 149 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,500 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1F6D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Q96 Sacramento CA at 4:35 pm
- Destination: VNY Van Nuys CA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 10,000 ft; scat at 7,000 ft
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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 N18174 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number LAX86LA136.