Cessna 177RG accident near Mesa, Arizona, October 18, 2022
On October 18, 2022 at about 2:40 pm local time, a 1975 Cessna 177RG, registered N747ML, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR pattern final) near Mesa, Arizona (Falcon Fld airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of maintenance personnel to properly secure the fuel supply line to the fuel flow divider, which resulted in a fuel leak, fuel exhaustion, and 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
- October 18, 2022 · about 2:40 pm local time
- Place
- Mesa, Arizona · Falcon Fld · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 177RG, built 1975 · all 177RGs on the register
- Registration
- N747ML · registry record · serial 177RG0719
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot conducted an hour-long local flight to break in the newly-installed engine, and was returning to the airport for landing when the engine lost all power. After a failed attempt to restart the engine, the pilot initiated a forced landing into a water canal. The airplane impacted a berm and came to rest in the canal, resulting in substantial damage to the left wing and engine mount. About one cup of fuel was recovered from each fuel tank during recovery from the accident site. Examination of the engine revealed that the fuel line from the fuel injection servo to the flow divider, which connected at the baffle union fitting on the aft side of the firewall, leaked when the engine-driven fuel pump actuated during the manual rotation of the propeller. The B-nut fitting could be tightened a half revolution until it seated onto the fitting by hand. There was no physical damage to the fitting, nor any accident-related impact damage within the surrounding area of the fitting. Review of the task cards for the engine installation provided by the repair station indicated that the installation was completed and signed off by both a technician and inspector. Based on the available information, it is likely that the B-nut was not properly torqued onto the baffle union fitting and that, during the accident flight, the B-nut loosened, resulting in a fuel leak, fuel exhaustion, and a total loss of engine power.
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
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during approach (VFR pattern final) defining event
- Aircraft maintenance event during prior to flight
- Loss of engine power (total) during approach (VFR pattern final)
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › (general) › Not serviced/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Installation › Maintenance personnel
- Organizational issues › Support/oversight/monitoring › Oversight › Oversight of maintenance › Maintenance provider
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,402.6 hours in all; 1,187 in this make and model; 13.5 in the last 90 days; 10.3 in the last 30 days; 1,321.4 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 26, 2022
- Medical certificate: BasicMed (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,849.3 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 11, 2022; 9 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A1B6D (piston); 9 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 04, 5,100 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 040° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.08 inHg
- Observation at 7:54 am from KFFZ, 1 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KFFZ 181454Z 04009KT 10SM CLR 23/09 A3008 RMK AO2 SLP165 T02280094 53020 $
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
12 documents, released by the NTSB on October 23, 2024. 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, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Accident Photos | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Engine Exam Summary | PDF, 8 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Video of Leaking Fuel Line | MOV file | Download |
| 5 | Mor- Repair Station | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Repair Station Task Card Excerpt | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 7 | Engine Logbook Entry Excerpt | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 8 | Engine Data Download Report Summary | PDF, 7 pages | View Download |
| 9 | Engine Data Download Data | data file | Download |
| 10 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 11 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 12 | Evidence Control Form | PDF, 2 pages | 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.