- Date
- June 27, 2025, 11:30 local (15:30 UTC)
- Place
- Kelleys Island, OH
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N30743Cessna 177
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 14, 2025
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20250627007369A
- Case key
- 200405
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
The pilot’s failure to maintain control of the airplane while taking off in gusting crosswind conditions.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot was departing and reported that there was a direct crosswind of 10 knots gusting to 20 knots. Just after rotation, about 10 to 15 ft. above ground level, a strong crosswind pushed the airplane “hard” off the centerline and down towards the runway. The pilot attempted to correct by applying full left aileron but was unable to establish a stable climb and elected to reduce power and land in the grass off the end of the runway. During the landing, the right wing impacted the ground followed by the nose and left wing. The impacts resulted in substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N30743
- Reported as
- Cessna 177 (B)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17701437
- Built
- 1969
- Airframe hours
- 5,311
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A1F6, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · May 24, 2024
- Destination
- HAO · Hamilton, OH
- Airport
- 89D · Kelleys Island Land Fld, runway 27, 2,202 × 50 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Electronic primary flight display, ADS-B, Auto-pilot, Electronic multifunction display
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
- 70
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- December 19, 2022
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 255 total · 90 in this make and model · 194 as pilot in command · 4 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 10 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 85 °F, dew point 75 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.99 inHg
- Observed at
- PCW, 10 nm away
- METAR
- KPCW 271535Z AUTO 22008KT 180V260 10SM CLR 30/24 A2999 RMK AO2
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 14, 2025, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 9.1 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.