Cessna 177RG accident near Kennesaw, Georgia, August 1, 2007
On August 1, 2007 at about 9:20 pm local time, a Cessna 177RG, registered N177RV, was substantially damaged in an accident near Kennesaw, Georgia (Cobb County Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 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 a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion during approach.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 1, 2007 · about 9:20 pm local time
- Place
- Kennesaw, Georgia · Cobb County Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 177RG · all 177RGs on the register
- Registration
- N177RV · registry record · serial 177RG1307
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While on a short cross-country flight, the pilot contacted an air traffic control tower, at an airport that was not his intended destination. The pilot reported that he was approximately 5 miles north of the airport, low on fuel, and requested to land quickly. The air traffic controller instructed the pilot to enter a left base leg for runway 9. The pilot subsequently stated that he was out of fuel, and declared an emergency. The air traffic controller advised the pilot that the airplane was 2 miles north of the airport, and asked if the pilot was in the vicinity of a highway. The pilot replied that he was "stalling," and the airplane impacted a wooded area in a nose-down attitude. Examination of the wreckage revealed that there was no fuel in the fuel tanks, and no evidence of fuel throughout the fuel system. In addition, there was no evidence of a fuel leak.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 238 hours in all; 13 in this make and model; 9 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 155 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 1, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,978.2 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 1, 2007
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: AHN Athens GA at 8:30 pm
- Destination: VPC Cartersville GA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 9, 6,305 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 7,500 ft; scat at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 9:24 pm from RYY, 2 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.