Cessna 177 accident near Yuba City, California, February 26, 1989
On February 26, 1989 at about 9:30 pm local time, a Cessna 177, registered N2377Y, was substantially damaged in an accident near Yuba City, California (Vanderford Ranch airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 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
INADEQUATE SUPERVISION BY THE INSTRUCTOR (CFI) WHICH RESULTED IN A DELAYED GO-AROUND, INADEQUATE AIRSPEED, AND A STALL/MUSH INTO THE GROUND. A POOR APPROACH BY THE STUDENT PILOT WAS A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 26, 1989 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Yuba City, California · Vanderford Ranch · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 177 · all 177s on the register
- Registration
- N2377Y · registry record · serial 17700177
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DRG A DUAL INSTRUCTIONAL FLT, THE INSTRUCTOR (CFI) SIMULATED A FORCED LANDING BY REDUCING THE POWER. THE STUDENT MNVRD THE ACFT TO MAKE AN APCH TO A NEARBY AIRSTRIP. IN A STATEMENT AFTER THE ACDNT, THE CFI SAID THAT 'AS THE TURN TO BASE WAS STARTED, THE STUDENT ASKED IF HE WAS GOING TO 'MAKE' IT, AND I RESPONDED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE. AT THAT POINT, HE (THE STUDENT) ADDED A SMALL AMOUNT OF POWER AND I TOLD HIM HE DID NOT HAVE POWER, AS I RETARDED THE THROTTLE AND AGAIN LOOKED OVER HIS SHOULDER TO VIEW THE RUNWAY. WITHIN SECONDS, I COULD FEEL AN ACCELERATED SINK RATE, AND OBSERVED THE RUNWAY DISAPPEARING AT THE TOP OF THE SIDE WINDOW . . .' THE CFI INITIATED A GO-AROUND; HOWEVER, BEFORE THE DSCNT WAS ARRESTED, THE ACFT CONTACTED THE GROUND. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZERS, NOSE GEAR, PROP & WING TIPS WERE DAMAGED. THERE WERE NO RPRTD MECHANICAL MALFUNCTIONS OR FAILURES WITH THE ACFT BEFORE THE ACDNT.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,000 hours in all; 7 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 17, 1989; 38 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,275 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MYV Marysville CA at 12:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.
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 LAX89LA116.