- Date
- July 16, 1998, 18:50 local (23:50 UTC)
- Place
- Cassville, WI
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N3461TCessna 177
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 15, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19980716016739A
- Case key
- 43087
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
an undetermined event which resulted in engine failure on landing roll out during attempted restart fuel ignited and an undetermined event in the airplane's fuel system which resulted in a fire.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot said that the airplane's engine quit on landing roll out. After the airplane was completely stopped, the pilot attempted a restart. The pilot said, 'A backfire from the engine caused fumes to ignite and start raw gas on [the] ground on fire.' Examination of surviving airplane components revealed no anomalies.
Factual narrative
On July 16, 1998, at 1850 central daylight time (cdt), a Cessna 177, N3461T, operated by a private pilot was destroyed when on landing roll, the airplane's engine quit. During the subsequent restart attempt, an engine fire erupted which consumed the airplane. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was being conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. There was no flight plan on file. The pilot reported no injuries. The cross-country flight originated at Dubuque, Iowa, at 1830 cdt.
In his written statement, the pilot said that the airplane's engine quit on landing roll out. After the airplane was completely stopped, the pilot attempted a restart. The pilot said, "A backfire from the engine caused fumes to ignite and start raw gas on [the] ground on fire."
A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector examined the wreckage at the accident site. The entire airplane, with exception of the outboard few feet of both wings, was charred, melted, or consumed by fire. Flight control continuity was confirmed. Examination of surviving airplane components revealed no anomalies.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3461T
- Reported as
- Cessna 177
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17700761
- Airframe hours
- 3,600
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A2F, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Thomas Yocum
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 19, 1998 · 10 hours before
- Departed
- DBQ · Dubuque, IA
- Destination
- C-74
- Airport
- C74 · Cassville Airport, runway 29, 3,000 × 60 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 60
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,400 total · 2,000 in this make and model · 12 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- DBQ, 21 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.