Cessna 177 accident near Snohomish, Washington, September 23, 1991
On September 23, 1991 at about 2:15 am local time, a Cessna 177, registered N3314T, was substantially damaged in an accident near Snohomish, Washington. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE SEPARATION OF THE MIXTURE CONTROL CABLE (CORE) RESULTING FROM SEPARATION OF THE ADEL CLAMP ASSEMBLY AND IMPROPER ADJUSTMENT BY MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 23, 1991 · about 2:15 am local time
- Place
- Snohomish, Washington · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 177 · all 177s on the register
- Registration
- N3314T · no longer on the register · serial 17700614
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING CRUISE A PARTIAL POWER LOSS OCCURRED AND THE PILOT, UNABLE TO REACH A SUITABLE AIRPORT, EXECUTED A FORCED LANDING. POST CRASH EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT THE MIXTURE CONTROL CABLE CORE HAD SEPARATED AT THE MIXTURE CONTROL ARM BOLT ADJACENT TO THE CARBURETOR. ADDITIONALLY, THE ADEL CLAMP ASSEMBLY RETAINING THE MIXTURE CONTROL CABLE NEAR THE MIXTURE CONTROL ARM WAS OBSERVED TO BE SEPARATED. THE SEPARATED CABLE CORE WAS DUE TO REVERSE BENDING FATIGUE CRACKING CONSISTENT WITH EXCESSIVE VIBRATORY LOADS APPLIED TO THE CABLE AS A RESULT OF THE SEPARATED ADEL CLAMP ASSEMBLY. THE SEPARATED ADEL CLAMP WAS DUE TO EXCESSIVE TWISTING LOADS APPLIED TO THE CLAMP. DURING THE FORCED LANDING ROLLOUT, WHICH WAS EXECUTED ON ROUGH TERRAIN, THE NOSE WHEEL ASSEMBLY COLLAPSED.
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: 756 hours in all; 220 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 593 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,047 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, March 22, 1991; 303 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,275 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Sigmet INC.
The flight
- Departed from: TIW Tacoma WA at 1:20 am
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 320° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 15,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 59°F (15°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:45 am from PAE, 7 miles away
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.