Beech 77 accident near Cottage Grove, Oregon, June 21, 1997
On June 21, 1997 at about 1:05 am local time, a Beech 77, registered N6630C, was substantially damaged in an accident near Cottage Grove, Oregon. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Fuel exhaustion resulting from the pilot's inadequate preflight planning/preparation and his failure to maintain adequate airspeed during a forced landing approach, resulting in a stall. A related factor was the pilot's failure to refuel.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 21, 1997 · about 1:05 am local time
- Place
- Cottage Grove, Oregon · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 77 · all 77s on the register
- Registration
- N6630C · no longer on the register · serial WA-24
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While on a flight from Chico, California, to Eugene, Oregon, the airplane crashed about 29 miles south of its destination. Witnesses stated they saw the aircraft turning toward a mown hay field, with its engine cutting out, when it abruptly dropped and impacted the ground from about 100 feet above ground level. Examination of the airplane at the accident site revealed that the aircraft's right wing fuel tank was empty and its left wing tank contained only a trace quantity of fuel. A total of approximately one to two teaspoons of fuel was extracted from the remainder of the aircraft's fuel system. Both wing tanks were breached; however, there was no fuel odor or discoloration of vegetation at the accident site. Examination of the aircraft did not reveal any evidence of mechanical malfunction. The pilot overflew at least five suitable airports with fuel facilities on his route of flight.
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: 1,132 hours in all; 68 in this make and model; 23 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 1,079 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,977 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 8, 1996; 48 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,675 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CIC Chico CA at 10:08 pm
- Destination: EUG Eugene OR
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 6,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
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.