Cessna 177B accident near Oxford, Massachusetts, March 3, 1990
On March 3, 1990 at about 3:46 pm local time, a Cessna 177B, registered N34873, was substantially damaged in an accident near Oxford, Massachusetts (Oxford airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
AN OFF AIRPORT LANDING IN UNSUITABLE TERRAIN FOLLOWING A POWER LOSS DUE TO A DELAMINATED CEET DUCT BETWEEN THE AIR INTAKE SCREEN AND CARBURETOR AIR BOX.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 3, 1990 · about 3:46 pm local time
- Place
- Oxford, Massachusetts · Oxford
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 177B · all 177Bs on the register
- Registration
- N34873 · registry record · serial 17702058
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE CESSNA 177B EXPERIENCED A POWER LOSS DURING TAKEOFF AND SETTLED INTO TREES AS THE PILOT MADE A FORCED LANDING. THE FAA REPORTED THAT THE CEET DUCT BETWEEN THE AIR INTAKE SCREEN AND CARBURETOR AIRBOX HAD BECOME DELAMINATED ON THE INSIDE AND HAD COLLAPSED, CUTTING OFF AIRFLOW TO THE ENGINE.
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: 362 hours in all; 39 in this make and model; 19 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 26, 1989; 28 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: MA08 Oxford MA
- Destination: FIT Fitchburg MA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 2, 2,047 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.