- Date
- July 1, 1990, 18:20 local (Jul 2, 1990, 01:20 UTC)
- Place
- Lake Havasu, AZ
- Injuries
- 3 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N2307YCessna 177
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 14, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900701023209A
- Case key
- 26641
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 inflight loss of control due to failure to maintain adequate airspeed. Contributing to the accident was the high density altitude, overweight airplane, and the pilot's alcohol level.
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
After liftoff, the aircraft was seen to make a right turn prior to the departure end of the runway and head towards a portion of the lake where the pilot and passengers had visited friends earlier in the day. Witnesses stated that the aircraft was low and slow with a nose high attitude when the wings began to rock back and forth. The aircraft impacted in the water after about 180 deg of rotation. Toxicological tests on the pilot were positive for alcohol at a reported level of 0.08%. The aircraft was over max gross weight by about 8 lbs. The density altitude was 4,234 ft.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2307Y
- Reported as
- Cessna 177
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17700107
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Burreson, Rex H.
- Registered owner
- Rex H Burreson
- Destination
- PSP · Palm Springs, CA
- Airport
- LHV · Lake Havasu, runway 5, 6,167 × 100 ft, asphalt
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
- 25
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 129 total · 33 in this make and model · 91 as pilot in command · 6 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 35 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 118 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Observed at
- EED, 20 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.