Cessna 177 accident near Los Angeles, California, August 17, 1998
On August 17, 1998 at about 5:15 am local time, a Cessna 177, registered N177GS, was destroyed in an accident near Los Angeles, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured and 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was conditions the NTSB did not record.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the pilot to accurately determine that an adequate quantity of fuel was aboard the aircraft for the intended flight, and the failure to monitor fuel quantity remaining while en route to ensure an adequate quantity of reserve fuel prior to landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 17, 1998 · about 5:15 am local time
- Place
- Los Angeles, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured and 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- conditions the NTSB did not record
- Aircraft
- Cessna 177 · all 177s on the register
- Registration
- N177GS · registry record · serial 17700955
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The aircraft's engine ceased delivering power during the nighttime instrument landing approach. When they broke out of the clouds, it was apparent to the pilot that the aircraft would not be able to glide to the airport. He maneuvered the aircraft toward a school athletic field and made an emergency landing. The aircraft impacted a utility power pole and severed electrical power wires prior landing inverted on the athletic field. The pilot reported that prior to takeoff he checked the fuel quantity using a dipstick tool and there was 3 hours fuel aboard. He could not recall what the fuel gauges read at the time the engine quit. The flight required 1 hour 15 minutes en route. Several early responders to the accident site noted that there was no liquid fuel or fuel smells present, and that the pilot was not concerned about potential for a postaccident fire or explosion. Two of the passengers told two different witnesses that the aircraft had run out of fuel. No aircraft mechanical discrepancies were found during the investigation.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,800 hours in all; 160 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 2,800 as pilot in command; 2,000 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,466 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 1, 1998; 81 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: SBA Santa Barbara CA at 4:00 am
- Destination: SMO Santa Monica CA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 270° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,400 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:50 am from LAX, 6 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 1 | ||
| Passengers | 1 | 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.
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.