Cessna 177A accident near S. Hackensack, New Jersey, September 3, 2005
On September 3, 2005 at about 1:22 am local time, a Cessna 177A, registered N30491, was substantially damaged in an accident near S. Hackensack, New Jersey (Teterboro Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate preflight planning, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and subsequent loss of engine power. A factor in the accident was the pilot's impairment from prescription medication.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 3, 2005 · about 1:22 am local time
- Place
- S. Hackensack, New Jersey · Teterboro Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 177A · all 177As on the register
- Registration
- N30491 · no longer on the register · serial 17701286
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
On the day of the accident, the pilot and passenger flew from the pilot's home airport to the destination airport approximately one hour away. Prior to departing from the destination airport, the pilot performed several touch-and-go landings at night for currency reasons, and then the pilot and passenger departed for the return flight. After flying for about an hour, the pilot declared an emergency, and was radar vectored to the closest airport. She advised air traffic control that the airplane was "out of fuel," and that she "hope[d] to make it to the runway." The airplane impacted a utility pole and a building approximately 1/4 mile from the end of the runway. Examination of the airplane and engine revealed no mechanical anomalies. Four gallons of fuel were drained from the right fuel tank, and the left tank was empty. The pilot refueled the airplane on the day prior to the accident, at an airport 50 miles from her home airport. According to the Cessna 177 Owner's Manual, the average fuel burn rate was between 8 gallons per hour (gph) and 10 gph. Toxicological testing performed on the pilot's blood detected alprazolam (a prescription anti-anxiety medication also known by the trade name Xanax) at a level consistent with recent ingestion of an impairing dose of the medication. Testing additionally detected diazepam (a prescription anti-anxiety medication also known by the trade name Valium) in the pilot's blood. The two medications detected are not typically indicated for use together. The pilot, a self-employed psychologist, had not reported any mental conditions or use of medications on her applications for airman medical certificate.
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: 257 hours in all; 247 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: October 1, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 83 hours in all; 0 in this make and model; 14 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 5 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,226 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 1, 2005; 21 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,500 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BID Block Island RI
- Destination: TEB Teterboro NJ
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Wind: from 260° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 29.85 inHg
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.