Cessna 177 accident near Immokalee, Florida, December 28, 1998
On December 28, 1998 at about 8:25 pm local time, a Cessna 177, registered N3293T, was substantially damaged in an accident near Immokalee, Florida (Immokalee Regional airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The certified flight instructor's inadequate supervision and his inadequate management of the fuel, which resulted in fuel exhaustion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 28, 1998 · about 8:25 pm local time
- Place
- Immokalee, Florida · Immokalee Regional
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 177 · all 177s on the register
- Registration
- N3293T · no longer on the register · serial 17700593
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot initiated a touch and go after landing. The airplane was slow to accelerate. The flight instructor took over the flight controls. He ensured the carburetor heat was off and raised the flaps up to 20-degrees. He rotated the airplane about half way down the runway, and raised the flaps to 10-degrees. He adjusted the airplane to climb attitude upon reaching 60 mph, and raised the flaps to the full up position. The airplane reached about 50 feet, and started to lose power in a high sink rate. The CFI applied aft pressure on the control yoke to maintain a nose high attitude. The airplane collided with the ground off the end of the runway very hard. The right main landing gear separated, and the airplane came to a stop. Law enforcement personnel checked the fuel levels by turning on the master switch. The left fuel tank registered no fuel, and the right fuel tank showed about an eighth of a tank of fuel. An Airframe and Powerplant mechanic drained the fuel tanks to determine the remaining fuel quantity. About 2 gallons of fuel was remaining. The total fuel capacity is 49 gallons. The flight manual states useable fuel in each bay for all flight conditions is 24 gallons when completely filled.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,558 hours in all; 25 in this make and model; 1,572 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 11, 1998
- Maximum gross weight: 2,350 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: APF at 8:00 pm
- Destination: IMM
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 5,000 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 1,600 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from RSW, 35 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.