Cessna 177 accident near Pine Bluffs, Wyoming, August 13, 2014
On August 13, 2014 at about 5:50 pm local time, a 1967 Cessna 177, registered N2830X, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Pine Bluffs, Wyoming (Pine Bluffs Muni airport). 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 pilot's inadequate flare and failure to maintain aircraft control while landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 13, 2014 · about 5:50 pm local time
- Place
- Pine Bluffs, Wyoming · Pine Bluffs Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 177, built 1967 · all 177s on the register
- Registration
- N2830X · registry record · serial 17700230
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that during the landing flare he experienced what he believed to be wind shear or a dust devil. Just before the airplane touched down it lifted about 20 to 40 feet when the wind suddenly shifted to a tailwind and the airplane stalled. The pilot stated that the right wing dropped and the airplane entered an approximate 45 to 60 degree angle of bank. The pilot corrected the bank angle and leveled the wings but failed to apply full power to completely recover from the stall. The airplane subsequently impacted the runway nose down, bounced, then settled to the runway. The firewall and fuselage were substantially damaged. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunction or failures with the airplane that would precluded normal operation. .
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
- Loss of control in flight during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Dust devil/whirlwind › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 109 hours in all; 9 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 75 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: July 4, 2013
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,757.7 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 1, 2014
- Maximum gross weight: 2,350 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E20 (piston); 2,758 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GCC Gillette WY at 3:50 pm
- Destination: 82V Pine Bluffs WY
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 26, 5,331 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 10 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on September 8, 2014. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photo 1 - Fuselage Damage (Photo Courtesy of Owner) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.