Cessna 177RG accident near Oakland, California, May 14, 1995
On May 14, 1995 at about 5:03 pm local time, a Cessna 177RG, registered N34938, was destroyed in an accident near Oakland, California (Oakland International airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 3 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's poor preflight planning/preparation by exceeding the airplane certificated maximum allowable takeoff gross weight and failure to abort the takeoff in a timely manner. The ditch was a factor in this accident.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 14, 1995 · about 5:03 pm local time
- Place
- Oakland, California · Oakland International · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 3 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 177RG · all 177RGs on the register
- Registration
- N34938 · no longer on the register · serial 177RG1026
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRPLANE EXITED A 3,366 FEET-LONG BY 75-FEET WIDE ASPHALT-SURFACED RUNWAY AND COLLIDED WITH A DITCH AFTER THE PILOT ABORTED THE TAKEOFF. THE PILOT SAID THE ENGINE BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH AND HE ELECTED TO ABORT THE TAKEOFF. ONE OF THE THREE PASSENGERS SAID THAT THE ENGINE APPEARED TO HESITATE, BUT NOT MISFIRE; THE REMAINING TWO PASSENGERS SAID THE ENGINE SOUNDED NORMAL. THE PASSENGERS SAID THE PILOT ABORTED THE TAKEOFF WHEN THE AIRPLANE WAS BETWEEN 1/2 AND 3/4 DISTANCE DOWN THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT SAID THAT HE CALCULATED THE AIRPLANE WEIGHT AND BALANCE BEFORE DEPARTING ON THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT; THE AIRPLANE WEIGHT AND BALANCE WERE FOUND TO BE WITHIN LIMITS. SAFETY BOARD INVESTIGATORS' CALCULATIONS, USING THE ACTUAL OCCUPANTS' WEIGHTS AND THEIR ESTIMATE OF THEIR PERSONAL BAGGAGE WEIGHTS, DISCLOSED THE AIRPLANE EXCEEDED ITS MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE GROSS WEIGHT BY 215.7 POUNDS; THE CENTER OF GRAVITY WAS WITHIN ITS NORMAL RANGE. THE POSTACCIDENT ENGINE EXAMINATION DISCLOSED NO EVIDENCE OF ANY PREIMPACT MALFUNCTIONS OR FAILURES.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 258 hours in all; 9 in this make and model; 9 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 150 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,991 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 4, 1994; 57 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A1B6D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OAK
- Destination: RDD Redding CA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 33, 3,366 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 15,000 ft; scat at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:05 pm from OAK
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 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.
Other NTSB records under N34938 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.