Cessna 177B accident near Alliance, Nebraska, April 18, 1985
On April 18, 1985 at about 9:45 pm local time, a Cessna 177B, registered N34908, was substantially damaged in an accident near Alliance, Nebraska. It was a business 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
- April 18, 1985 · about 9:45 pm local time
- Place
- Alliance, Nebraska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 177B · all 177Bs on the register
- Registration
- N34908 · registry record · serial 17702082
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ACFT COLLIDED WITH DITCH AT END OF STRIP WHILE ABORTING TAKEOFF. TAKEOFF WAS BEING MADE FROM A 2200 FT LONG DIRT FARM STRIP. THE STRIP HAD A SLIGHT UPSLOPE AND THE DENSITY ALTITUDE WAS 6,800 FT. WING FLAPS WERE FOUND IN RETRACTED POSITION AFTER THE ACCIDENT.
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: 849 hours in all; 249 in this make and model; 16 in the last 90 days; 803 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,274 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 1, 1984; 23 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: AKO Akron CO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 30, 2,200 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 12,000 ft; scat at 8,000 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:40 pm from AIA, 18 miles away
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.