Cessna 177RG accident near Rockaway, New Jersey, July 12, 1996
On July 12, 1996 at about 10:40 am local time, a Cessna 177RG, registered N8059G, was substantially damaged in an accident near Rockaway, New Jersey. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's impairment of judgment and performance due to alcohol which led to his inadequate preflight of the aircraft and his inadequate inflight decision which resulted in fuel exhaustion and loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 12, 1996 · about 10:40 am local time
- Place
- Rockaway, New Jersey
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 177RG · all 177RGs on the register
- Registration
- N8059G · no longer on the register · serial 177RG0059
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was en route about 700 feet above the ground when the engine lost power. The pilot turned toward a shopping mall parking lot, and during the descent the airplane struck a power line. The airplane impacted the ground in a nose-low attitude and the nose landing gear collapsed. Examination of the airplane revealed that the fuel tanks were empty with corresponding indication of the fuel gages. There was no evidence of fuel siphoning or leakage on the airplane. The pilot reported that he did not check the fuel quantity before the flight, but instead did an estimation of the amount. The pilot's medical certificate had expired and his flight review was past due. A police toxicologist indicated that the pilot had a blood alcohol level of 0.060%.
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: 800 hours in all; 130 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 677 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (expired)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,350 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 1, 1995; 60 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,350 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A1B6 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BDR Bridgeport CT at 10:00 am
- Destination: N40 Pittstown NJ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.