Cessna 177 accident near Corona, California, February 6, 1996
On February 6, 1996 at about 11:06 pm local time, a Cessna 177, registered N2386Y, was substantially damaged in an accident near Corona, California (Corona Municipal airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
improper planning/decision by the pilot-in-command (PIC), and his failure to ensure that adequate airspeed was obtain and/or maintain during lift-off/initial climb. A factor relating to the accident was: the PIC allowed the airplane's maximum gross weight limit to be exceeded.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 6, 1996 · about 11:06 pm local time
- Place
- Corona, California · Corona Municipal
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 177 · all 177s on the register
- Registration
- N2386Y · no longer on the register · serial 17700186
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot-in-command (PIC) was taking a prospective buyer and his family on a local airplane flight, and occupied the right front seat. The prospective buyer, an airline captain, expressed reservations about flying the airplane stating that he was not current in small airplanes. The prospective buyer rotated the airplane when it reached midfield and immediately lifted off. After lift-off, the airplane would not climb. The PIC assumed control and lowered the nose, but was unable to gain flying speed. He allowed the airplane to settle in an open clearing when he realized the airplane would not clear trees at the end of the runway. Both pilots said the engine sounded normal throughout the accident sequence. An engine examination disclosed no evidence of any preexisting malfunction or failure. The airplane's takeoff weight exceeded the maximum allowable takeoff weight by 154.8 pounds.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 12,000 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,961 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 1, 1995; 3 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: L66 at 11:05 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 25, 3,200 ft by 60 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 1,800 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 11:00 pm from CNO, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
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.