Cessna 177RG accident near Renick, West Virginia, March 28, 2000
On March 28, 2000 at about 4:20 pm local time, a Cessna 177RG, registered N1830Q, was substantially damaged in an accident near Renick, West Virginia (Greenbrier Valley Airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's improper weather evaluation, and subsequent improper decision to fly into forecast and known icing conditions that exceeded the capability of the airplane to maintain flight. A factor was the icing conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 28, 2000 · about 4:20 pm local time
- Place
- Renick, West Virginia · Greenbrier Valley Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 177RG · all 177RGs on the register
- Registration
- N1830Q · no longer on the register · serial 177RG0230
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Prior to departure, the pilot received a weather briefing, which included forecast moderate icing and pilot reports of icing moving into his planned route of flight. The airplane was not approved for flight into known icing conditions. However, the pilot elected to depart, and en route he encountered airframe icing. He requested a lower altitude, and then reported that the engine was loosing power. Unable to maintain altitude, the pilot performed a forced landing in a wooded area. An inspector from the FAA reported no evidence of a mechanical failure or malfunction was found with the airframe or engine. The spark plugs were sooty, and the air filter was soaked with water. A witness near the accident site reported fog and snow at the time of 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: commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,166 hours in all; 213 in this make and model; 7 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 841 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,042 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 12, 1999; 67 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-AID6 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HLG Wheeling WV at 3:04 pm
- Destination: SAV Savanah GA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,200 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 37°F (3°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:46 pm from LWB, 13 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.