Cessna 177B accident near Perris, California, August 5, 2026
On August 5, 2026 at about 6:17 pm local time, a 1973 Cessna 177B, registered N34852, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Perris, California. It was an instructional 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 5, 2026 · about 6:17 pm local time
- Place
- Perris, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 177B, built 1973 · all 177Bs on the register
- Registration
- N34852 · registry record · serial 17702046
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On August 5, 2026, at 1117 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 177B, N34852, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Perris, California. The flight instructor and student pilot were not injured. The airplane was being operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight. According to both pilots, after completing a series of maneuvers, the engine lost power while positioning the airplane to practice S-turns at 1,500 ft AGL. Attempts to restart the engine were unsuccessful so the flight instructor performed an emergency landing to a field. During landing the airplane struck vegetation and nosed over, resulting in substantial damage to the left wing and fuselage. The pilots reported 44 gallons of fuel onboard at takeoff and they had been airborne about 1.5 hrs when the engine quit.
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 maneuvering defining event
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 2,500 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
The flight
- Departed from: RAL Riverside CA at 5:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 11:00 am from KAJO, 13 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KAJO 051756Z AUTO 29007KT 10SM CLR 28/18 A2995 RMK AO2 SLP136 6//// T02780178 10278 20167 50004 $
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The NTSB has not released the docket for this case yet. The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), is usually released when the investigation is nearly complete, and the list here is refreshed when it appears. Check at the NTSB.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number WPR26LA291.