# NTSB SEA97LA128: Cessna 177B, N34680, Lake Powell, UT, June 4, 1997 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Minor injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: June 4, 1997, 11:17 local (17:17 UTC) - Place: Lake Powell, UT - Coordinates: 38.270641, -110.749763 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.2706&lon=-110.7498&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Minor injuries - Injuries: 1 minor, 3 uninjured - Status: Completed, report April 24, 1998 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 42621 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=SEA97LA128 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/42621/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA97LA128 ## Probable cause A loss of engine power for undetermined reasons. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of engine power, cruise - reason for occurrence undetermined (cause) - Forced landing, emergency landing - Ditching, emergency landing ## Analysis The flight departed at 0909 with 40 gallons of fuel. After about 2.2 hours of flight time the pilot experienced a loss of engine power. The aircraft was flying westbound along the San Juan River gorge. The pilot was unable to locate a suitable landing site for a forced landing and executed a ditching during which the aircraft nosed over and then sank. The pilot described the power loss as a reduction of RPM and a 'popping and backfiring and shuddering worse and worse all the way down.' Attempts to trouble shoot and correct the situation were unsuccessful. The aircraft sank in deep water and was not recovered. ## Factual narrative On June 4, 1997, approximately 1117 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 177B, N34680, registered to and operated by Scenic Airlines, Inc., and being flown by a commercial pilot, was substantially damaged during an intentional ditching in the San Juan River slightly east of its entrance into Lake Powell, Utah. The ditching was executed by the pilot-in-command (PIC) following a loss of engine power. The pilot and three passengers (German nationals) exited the aircraft with no injuries with the exception of the PIC, who sustained minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no FAA flight plan was in effect. The flight, which was a sightseeing flight, was to have been operated under 14CFR135, and originated from Page, Arizona, at 0909 with 40 gallons of fuel. The pilot reported in both a telephonic interview with the Investigator-in-Charge, and a written statement, that a little over two hours after takeoff the aircraft's engine began to lose power. At this point he was located just north of No Mans Mesa (refer to CHART I) flying westbound along the San Juan River which feeds into Lake Powell. The pilot reported that he was "following the lake westward just above the tops of the cliffs that enclose it." The pilot attempted to trouble-shoot the power reduction during which the aircraft began losing altitude and he reported that he "could not locate a suitable landing site on land." He then prepared his passengers for a water landing and ditched the aircraft under partial power in the vicinity of a nearby pleasure boat. The pilot reported that during his trouble-shooting efforts he noted that the manifold pressure "was good (1 or 2 inches above the top of the green)" and that "the RPM was falling slowly." He indicated that the RPM initially was at 2100 and had decreased to 1800 before the ditching. He also reported seeing "the oil temperature was 1 needle out of the red" and described the engine sound as "popping and backfiring and shuddering worse and worse all the way down" (refer to attached statement). The pilot reported that he lowered full flaps and slowed the aircraft down as much as possible prior to the water landing. Upon impact, the aircraft nosed over to an inverted position almost immediately, and the pilot and three passengers exited the aircraft, which sank in about 15 seconds. Attempts to locate the aircraft in the deep water within the gorge terrain were unsuccessful and the aircraft was not recovered (refer to CHART I which shows the approximate ditching location). ## Aircraft - Registration: [N34680](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N34680-1999-06-24), registration cancelled 1999-06-24, S/N 17701937 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Cessna 177B - Registry model: [Cessna 177B](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-177b) (registry code 2073708) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 17701937 - Airframe hours: 6543 - Engines: Lycoming O-360-A1F6D 180 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Part 135 - Registered owner: Scenic Airlines, Inc. - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, March 25, 1997, 91 hours before - Departed: PGA, PAGE, AZ - Flight plan: Company VFR ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 25; 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: 1,894 total, 5 in this make and model, 1,819 as pilot in command, 138 in the last 90 days, 86 in the last 30 days, 5 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 150° at 11 knots, gusting 18 - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 90 °F, dew point 27 °F - Altimeter: 29.00 inHg - Observed at: PGA, 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 (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 19970604045939A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970604045939A), Jun 4, 1997: Cessna 177B, Lake Powell, UT, Substantial damage. (.4)The flight departed at 0909 with 40 gallons of fuel. After about 2.2 hours of flight time the pilot experienced a loss of engine power. The aircraft was… From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.