Cessna 177RG accident near Urbandale, Iowa, January 19, 1982
On January 19, 1982 at about 12:30 pm local time, a Cessna 177RG, registered N1969Q, was substantially damaged in an accident near Urbandale, Iowa (Morningstar airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 19, 1982 · about 12:30 pm local time
- Place
- Urbandale, Iowa · Morningstar · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 177RG · all 177RGs on the register
- Registration
- N1969Q · registry record · serial 0369
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AFTER TAKEOFF, THE ENGINE LOST POWER AT ABOUT 2000 FT MSL. THE PLANE WAS DAMAGED DURING A FORCED LANDING ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY. WHEN CHECKED AFTER THE ACCIDENT, THE ENGINE WOULD START BUT LOST POWER WHEN ACCELERATED ABOVE 1000 RPM. THE BENDIX SERVO FUEL INJECTOR, MODEL RSA-5AD1, WAS BENCH CHECKED AND WOULD DELIVER ONLY IDLE FUEL FLOW. A FURTHER EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT THE ELASTIC STOP NUT, PN 178491, HAD BACKED OFF OF THE FUEL DIAPHRAGM ASSEMBLY STEM. THIS RESTRICTED THE REGULATOR TRAVEL AND RESULTED IN A LEAN MIXTURE.
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: 380 hours in all; 380 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 340 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,170 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 37 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A1B6 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Y76 Urbandale IA at 6:25 am
- Destination: Corpus Christi TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.