Cessna 177 N18038

Summary

On 3 March 1985 at about 04:15 local time, a Cessna 177 registered N18038 was involved in an accident near Delaware City, Delaware, United States. 5 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

3 March 1985 at 04:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Delaware City, Delaware, United States

Nearest airport

Greater Wilmingon (ILG)

Coordinates

39.5693, -75.6008

Aircraft

Cessna 177

Registration

N18038

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Charleston → Smyrna

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night/Bright

NTSB number

BFO85LA019

Nobody was injured.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE ACFT DEPARTED CHARLESTON, SC AT ABOUT 1730 WITH 42 GALS (5 HRS) OF FUEL ON BOARD FOR THE PLANNED 4 HR FLT TO SMYRNA, DE. HEADWINDS OF 10 TO 20 KTS WERE ENCOUNTERED EN ROUTE, PUTTING THE FLT IN THE SMYRNA AREA 45 MINS LATE WITH ONLY 15 MINS OF FUEL REMAINING. THE PLT FOUND THAT THE PLT-ACTIVATED-RWY-LIGHTS WERE INOP. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO ACTIVATE THE LIGHTS & FLYING THE PATTERN DOWN TO 200 FT, THE PLT DIVERTED TO WILMINGTON ARPT, ABOUT 30 MILES NORTH. THE ENG LOST POWER AT AN ALTITIDE OF 2000 FT WHEN THE ACFT WAS APRX 8 MILES SOUTH OF WILMINGTON. A SUBSEQUENT FORCED LANDING OCCURRED IN A SWAMPY AREA. THE ACFT CAME TO REST INVERTED AFTER THE NOSEWHEEL BECAME MIRED IN MUD DURING THE LANDING. THE PLT STATED THAT HE WAS LATER TOLD THAT PERSONNEL AT SMYRNA HAD SHUT DOWN THE RWY LIGHT SYS FOR MAINTENANCE & HAD NOT REACTIVATED THE LIGHTS WHEN THEY HAD FINISHED.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.