Cessna 177B accident near North Captiva, Florida, April 19, 1990
On April 19, 1990 at about 8:50 pm local time, a Cessna 177B, registered N30962, was destroyed in an accident near North Captiva, Florida (North Captiva airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT BY THE PILOT, WHICH RESULTED IN FUEL EXHAUSTION, DUE TO AN INADEQUATE SUPPLY OF FUEL, AND FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE AIRSPEED, WHICH RESULTED IN AN INADVERTENT STALL.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 19, 1990 · about 8:50 pm local time
- Place
- North Captiva, Florida · North Captiva · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 177B · all 177Bs on the register
- Registration
- N30962 · no longer on the register · serial 17701569
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WITNESSES RPRTD THAT AFTER TAKEOFF, THE ACFT ENTERED A STEEP CLIMB, THEN THE ENG LOST POWER AS THE PLANE WAS PROCEEDING OVER WATER AT ABT 200 TO 300 FT. AN IMMEDIATE LEFT TURN WAS MADE, FOLLOWED BY A NOSE DOWN DESCENT. ABOUT 100 FT ABOVE THE WATER, ENG POWER WAS RESTORED, BUT THE ACFT COLLIDED WITH THE WATER BEFORE THE DESCENT WAS ARRESTED. PSNL (WHO TRIEDTO RESCUE THE OCCUPANTS, IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE ACDNT) DID NOT NOTICE ANY OIL SLICK OR FUEL ON THE WATER. ONLY SALT WATERWAS FOUND IN THE FUEL TANKS. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE ACFT HAD BEEN SERVICED WITH A FUEL LOAD OF ABOUT 40 GAL ON 4/10/90. THE ACFT WAS THEN FLOWN ABOUT 3.8 HRS BEFORE THE ACDNT. THERE WAS NO RECORD OF ANY FURTHER REFUELING. FUEL CONSUMPTION FOR THE ENG WAS ESTIMATED TO BE ABOUT 10 TO 11 GAL/HR AT 65% TO 75% POWER.
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: 3,500 hours in all; 256 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,276 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 8, 1989; 15 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,500 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1F6 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: FMY Fort Myers FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 9, 2,300 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 070° at 16 knots, gusting 26
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 8,000 ft; scat at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:49 pm from FMY, 20 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| 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.