- Date
- December 4, 1994, 16:15 local (22:15 UTC)
- Place
- Katy, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N29400Cessna 177
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 19, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19941204044159A
- Case key
- 19315
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
Fuel exhaustion due to the pilot's failure to refuel. A factor was the unsuitable terrain at the pilot's disposal for the forced landing.
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 departed sky lake airport, waller, Texas, earlier in the day, and flew to houston, lakeside airport to pick up some fuel additive. He departed lakeside airport on a return flight to waller, Texas, and had leveled off at 1,600 feet MSL when the engine lost power. During the forced landing to a field, he attempted several times to restart the engine without success. The aircraft touched down in a field, struck a roadway median, and came to rest 237 feet from the initial touch down point. There was no evidence of usable fuel in either fuel tank, and the fuel strainer contained less than a fourth of a cup of fuel. The fire wall was buckled, the nose landing gear was bent aft, and there was no evidence of fuel leaks. The pilot stated in the pilot/operator report that he departed sky lake airport with at least 21 gallons of fuel, and he could not 'predict inflight loss of fuel.'
Factual narrative
On December 4, 1994, at 1615 central standard time, a Cessna 177, N29400, was substantially damaged during a forced landing near Katy, Texas. The private pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal flight.
The pilot reported the following information to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector. He departed Sky Lake Airport, Waller, Texas, earlier in the day, and flew to Houston, Lakeside Airport to pick up some fuel additive. He departed Lakeside Airport on a return flight to Waller, Texas, and had leveled off at 1,600 feet MSL when the engine lost power. During the forced landing to a field, he attempted several times to restart the engine without success.
The pilot stated in the pilot/operator report that he departed Sky Lake Airport with at least 21 gallons of fuel, and he could not "predict inflight loss of fuel."
Examination of the accident site by the FAA inspector, determined the aircraft touched down in a field, struck a roadway median, and came to rest 237 feet from the initial touch down point.
The FAA inspector further reported there was no evidence of usable fuel in either fuel tank, and the fuel strainer contained less than a forth of a cup of fuel. The fire wall was buckled, the nose landing gear was bent aft, and there was no evidence of fuel leaks.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N29400
- Reported as
- Cessna 177
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17700864
- Airframe hours
- 1,600
- Engine
- Continental O-360-E2D, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Bissonnet, William J.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 15, 1994
- Departed
- IWS · Houston, TX
- Destination
- 3XS7 · Waller, TX
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
- 66
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 535 total · 419 in this make and model · 535 as pilot in command · 4 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N29400 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.