Cessna 177 accident near Lodi, California, April 29, 2020
On April 29, 2020, a 1968 Cessna 177, registered N3386T, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Lodi, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The fatigue failure of the no. 4 cylinder connecting rod, which resulted in a total loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 29, 2020
- Place
- Lodi, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 177 Undesignat, built 1968 · all 177s on the register
- Registration
- N3386T · no longer on the register · serial 17700686
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot reported that about 15 minutes after takeoff, he heard a loud noise and observed oil on the windscreen, followed by a total loss of engine power. The pilot attempted to restart the engine but was unsuccessful and initiated a forced landing to a nearby field. Subsequently, the airplane landed hard and came to rest upright, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed that the No. 4 connecting rod had failed. Metallurgical examination of the connecting rod revealed that it had fractured from a fatigue crack, which initiated at an inner flange corner of the rod, about 1.15 inches from the piston pin bore. Once the connecting rod was no longer connected, the lower portion of the connecting rod (closer to the crankshaft) fractured in bending overstress, beginning a cascade of wider damage while the reciprocating engine was running.
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 engine power (total) during enroute defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during enroute
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip engine power section › Failure
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip eng cyl section › Fatigue/wear/corrosion
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 84 hours in all; 51 in this make and model; 12 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 13 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,091.9 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 1, 2019; 30.3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,350 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 1O3 Lodi CA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.94 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
6 documents, released by the NTSB on March 24, 2022. 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 | Materials Laboratory Factual Report | PDF, 21 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 3 | NTSB Engine Examination Summary | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Evidence Control Form | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Photo Array | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N3386T the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.