Cessna 177RG accident near Bellingham, Washington, October 1, 1988
On October 1, 1988 at about 5:47 pm local time, a Cessna 177RG, registered N2068Q, was substantially damaged in an accident near Bellingham, Washington (Bellingham airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 1, 1988 · about 5:47 pm local time
- Place
- Bellingham, Washington · Bellingham · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 177RG · all 177RGs on the register
- Registration
- N2068Q · registry record · serial 177RG60468
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DRG THE INITIAL CLIMB AFTER TAKEOFF, THE ENG LOST POWER. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ACFT WAS DAMAGED DRG AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN A ROUGH FIELD NORTHWEST OF THE ARPT. A POST-ACDNT ENG RUN-UP WAS MADE WITH A CLUB PROP INSTALLED. THE ENG OPERATED NORMALLY TO 1500 RPM WITH NO DISCREPANCIES NOTED. HOWEVER, A VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE FUEL LINES REVEALED THE PRESENCE OF A SMALL/FLAT PIECE OF RUBBER IN THE FUEL DISTRIBUTOR. THE PIECE OF RUBBER HAD THE APPEARANCE OF HAVING BEEN INDUCED WHEN A METAL CONNECTOR WAS INSERTED IN A HOSE DRG MAINTENANCE. THIS WAS THE 2ND FLT AFTER FUEL LINE MAINTENANCE.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,916 hours in all; 165 in this make and model; 109 in the last 90 days; 23 in the last 30 days; 2,738 as pilot in command; 2,507 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,529 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, September 30, 1988
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A1B6D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 34, 5,000 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:52 pm from BLI
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number SEA89LA004.