Cessna 177RG accident near Covington, Georgia, September 5, 1998
On September 5, 1998 at about 3:19 pm local time, a Cessna 177RG, registered N2679V, was substantially damaged in an accident near Covington, Georgia. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
slippage of the No. 3 connecting rod bearing resulting in blockage of the oil port, oil starvation, and subsequent connecting rod failure. A factor was the fence.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 5, 1998 · about 3:19 pm local time
- Place
- Covington, Georgia
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 177RG · all 177RGs on the register
- Registration
- N2679V · no longer on the register · serial 177RG0653
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that about 10 minutes after takeoff he experienced a loss of indicated engine oil pressure. The engine began to run rough and seized about two miles short of his divert airport. The pilot initiated an emergency landing in a grass field and during the landing rollout, the airplane collided with a fence. Subsequent examination of the engine revealed the No. 3 connecting rod bearing had become unsecured and rotated about its installed location ultimately blocking its lubrication port. The No. 3 connecting rod failed and a hole was observed in the crankcase adjacent to the No. one cylinder.
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
- Flight time: 160 hours in all; 65 in this make and model; 40 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 100 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,889 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 3, 1998; 65 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: PDK Atlanta GA at 3:15 pm
- Destination: SSI St. Simons Isl GA
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 pm from ATL, 33 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.