Cessna 177RG accident near Olympia, Washington, August 31, 2012
On August 31, 2012 at about 9:48 pm local time, a 1971 Cessna 177RG, registered N300ZX, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Olympia, Washington (Olympia Regional airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A loss of directional control during landing for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident examination of the nose gear steering mechanism did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 31, 2012 · about 9:48 pm local time
- Place
- Olympia, Washington · Olympia Regional · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 177RG, built 1971 · all 177RGs on the register
- Registration
- N300ZX · no longer on the register · serial 177RG0072
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot/owner of the retractable-gear airplane was completing a personal flight from a nearby airport back to his home airport. About 150 feet beyond the touchdown point, the airplane began veering to the right. The pilot was unable to correct the veer, and the airplane skidded off the right side of the runway into the adjacent grass and dirt. The airplane came to rest upright on its belly, adjacent to the side of the runway, and facing in about the opposite direction of landing. The two main landing gear assemblies were collapsed aft, essentially into their near-retracted positions. The nose gear remained partially attached to the airplane and was overextended forward to a near-horizontal orientation. Much of the physical evidence that was obtained was consistent with the collapse or retraction of both main landing gear just after landing. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the right main landing gear downlock mechanism functioned normally, but a slight anomaly with the left main landing gear downlock mechanism was observed. Because neither the pilot nor the air traffic controller reported a gear collapse, and the physical evidence was inconsistent with a left gear only collapse, a failure of that downlock was excluded as the cause of the right veer. An NTSB metallurgical examination indicated that the fractured nose landing gear components all failed due to tensile overload. Further examination of the nose gear components did not reveal any preaccident mechanical deficiencies or failures that would have resulted in a steering malfunction.
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
What happened, in order
- Unknown or undetermined during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll)
- Landing gear collapse during landing (landing roll)
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 800 hours in all; 350 in this make and model; 2 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: June 3, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,470 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 2, 2012
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360 (piston); 2,481 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CLS Chehalis WA at 9:30 pm
- Destination: OLM Olympia WA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 35, 5,500 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 9:54 pm from OLM
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 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.