- Date
- September 25, 1989, 20:30 local (Sep 26, 1989, 03:30 UTC)
- Place
- Tucson, AZ
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N52665Cessna 177RG
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report June 22, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890925035999A
- Case key
- 26509
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 loss of engine power due to the pilot's improper use of the aircraft's powerplant controls. A contributing factor was the pilot's limited experience in a Cessna 177RG.
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 reported that during a night visual approach, about 4-5 mi from the airport, the engine lost power. A forced landing was made in a field and the aircraft collided with a telephone pole. No pre-impact related malfunctions were found in the engine, and the engine ran successfully after the accident. The pilot later stated that the engine had continued to operate throughout the approach and landing. The pilot had 5 hrs in make/model.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N52665
- Reported as
- Cessna 177RG
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1238
- Engine
- Lycoming IO360A1B6D, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Registered owner
- Russell Wisler
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · September 12, 1989 · 30 hours before
- Departed
- PHX · Phoenix, AZ
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
- Airport
- TUS · Tucson Intl
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
- 28
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 770 total · 5 in this make and model · 655 as pilot in command · 86 in the last 90 days · 42 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 110° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 36 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- TUS, 3 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.