- Date
- February 23, 1992, 12:18 local (19:18 UTC)
- Place
- Durango, CO
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N2550VCessna 177RG
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 13, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920223003369A
- Case key
- 18199
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
A total loss of power due to a mechanical failure of the engine. Factors were: rough and uneven snow covered terrain.
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
Approximately one mile after takeoff on a cross country flight, at an altitude of approximately 900 feet AGL, the engine failed due to a mechanical malfunction. The pilot executed emergency procedures and conducted a forced landing in a field which was rough, uneven, and covered with snow. The mechanical malfunction was failure of the number two cylinder connecting rod.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2550V
- Reported as
- Cessna 177RG
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 177RG0613
- Airframe hours
- 3,435
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-A1B6D, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Sheppard Afb Flying Club
- Registered owner
- Sheppard Afb Flying Club
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · December 12, 1991 · 70 hours before
- Destination
- AMA · Amarillo, TX
- Flight plan
- IFR
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
- 31
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,718 total · 12 in this make and model · 1,396 as pilot in command · 62 in the last 90 days · 23 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 170° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 41 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- DRO, 2 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.