Cessna 177A accident near San Jose, California, October 17, 2026
On October 17, 2026 at about 10:08 pm local time, a Cessna 177A, registered N30544, was involved in an accident during initial climb near San Jose, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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 November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 17, 2026 · about 10:08 pm local time · cases in 2026
- Place
- San Jose, California
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 177A · all 177As on the register
- Registration
- N30544 · registry record
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Loss of engine power (total) during initial climb defining event
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Operator: Flying Twenty INC
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 9 knots
- Sky: clear
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 1 |
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.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N30544 on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Cessna 177 Cardinal 2,159 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Cessna 72,685 aircraft on the register
- Accidents and incidents in California 9,080 since 1982 · 1,097 in the last ten years
- California 27,761 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/WPR27LA019.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.