- Date
- August 13, 1989, 21:26 local (Aug 14, 1989, 02:26 UTC)
- Place
- Janice, MS
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N1976QCessna 177RG
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report June 25, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890813028769A
- Case key
- 32306
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 in flight loss of control by the non instrument rated pilot after encountering instrument meteorological conditions resulting in the airplane spiraling into a wooded area.
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 flt was operating in an area of reduced visibility due to haze, over an unpopulated area, at night. Review of radar data indicates the non-instrument rated plt had difficulty maintaining a constant heading and altitude during the 15 minute flt. As the plt received the current runway and altimeter setting at the destination airport, the airplane was observed to make a descending right turn to impact with trees and the terrain. The plt had voiced concerns regarding the hazy conditions to several people prior to the flt. The plt's night currency and total flt experience could not be determined from records. Weather information listed above was at a location 36 miles from the accident site. Plts flying in the vicinity of the accident site estimated visibility to vary between 1 and 2 miles with fog.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1976Q
- Reported as
- Cessna 177RG
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 177RG0396
- Airframe hours
- 2,346
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-A1B6D, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Institute Marine Mammal Studie
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 2, 1989 · 26 hours before
- Departed
- HBG · Hattiesburg, MS
- Destination
- GPT · Gulfport, MS
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
- 58
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 1,200 total · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 6 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- GPT, 36 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.