- Date
- May 10, 2017, 03:30 local (08:30 UTC)
- Place
- Frankston, TX
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N34207Cessna 177
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Runway excursion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 31, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20170510005049A
- Case key
- 95155
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 loss of runway visibility during landing in rain, which resulted in the pilot’s loss of situational awareness and subsequent loss of airplane control.
Findings · 4
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 reported that he made an approach to a grass airstrip in light rain conditions with mist. During the landing flare, the airplane encountered a rain shower, and the pilot's visibility was obscured. The pilot began the landing, but he lost sight of the runway. The airplane touched down left of the runway centerline and veered off the left side of the runway. He recalled that "by the time I was aware of my position it was not possible to correct," and the airplane impacted trees. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wing spars and engine mounts. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that he made an approach to a grass airstrip in light rain conditions with mist. During the landing flair, the airplane encountered a rain shower and the pilot's visibility was obscured. The pilot commenced the landing but he lost visibility of the runway. The airplane touched down left of the runway centerline and veered off the left side of the runway. He recalled that, "By the time I was aware of my position it was not possible to correct," and the airplane impacted the trees. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the both wing spars and engine mounts. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N34207
- Reported as
- Cessna 177 (B)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17701705
- Built
- 1972
- Airframe hours
- 7,285
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A1F6, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 27, 2017
- Departed
- KJDD · Mineola, TX
- Destination
- T25 · Frankston, TX
- Airport
- T25 · Aero Estates, runway 27, 3,100 × 60 ft, grass/turf
- Equipment
- Handheld GPS
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
- 88
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 29, 2015
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 2,122 total · 5 in this make and model · 2,122 as pilot in command · 5 in the last 90 days · 0.4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 7,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.93 inHg
- Observed at
- KTYR, 16 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 5, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.7 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.