Cessna 177RG N45022
3 October 1993 · Petaluma, California, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 3 October 1993 at about 06:29 local time, a Cessna 177RG registered N45022, operated by Dean Sheppard, was involved in an accident near Petaluma, California, United States. 4 people were on board and 4 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 06:29
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Petaluma, California, United States
- Nearest airport
- Petaluma Municipal (O69)
- Coordinates
- 38.2293, -122.5599
- Aircraft
- Cessna 177RG
- Registration
- N45022
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Dean Sheppard
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Reno → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- IMC
- Light
- Night/Dark
- NTSB number
- LAX94FA004
People
4 people died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
VFR FLIGHT BY THE PILOT(S) INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (IMC), AND FAILURE TO MAINTAIN A PROPER ALTITUDE AND/OR CLEARANCE FROM TERRAIN, WHILE APPROACHING THE DESTINATION AIRPORT. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE LOW CEILING AND TERRAIN.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
THE AIRPLANE WAS ON A CROSS-COUNTY FLIGHT ON A BRIGHT MOONLIT NIGHT FROM RENO, NV, TO PETALUMA, CA. DURING ARRIVAL, THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH RISING TERRAIN ABOUT 4 MILES SOUTHEAST OF THE AIRPORT AT ABOUT 400' MSL. ABOUT 25 MILES NORTH- WEST AT SONOMA COUNTY AIRPORT, THE 2340 PDT WEATHER WAS IN PART: 400' OVERCAST, 10 MILES VISIBILITY, WIND FROM 140 DEG AT 5 KTS. A COMMERCIAL PILOT REPORTED THAT EARLIER THAT EVENING, CLOUD BASES AT PETALUMA WERE BETWEEN 300' & 400' AGL. ON THE FOLLOWING MORNING, CLOUD BASES WERE STILL PRESENT AT ABOUT 400' AGL. THE AIRPLANE WAS EQUIPPED WITH DUAL VOR'S & LORAN & THERE WAS A PORTABLE GPS RECEIVER ABOARD. THE AIRPORT HAD A VOR (RWY 29) APPROACH. MINIMUM DESCENT ALTITUDE FOR THAT APPROACH WAS 1080' MSL, BUT THE FLIGHT HAD NO FLIGHT PLAN OR ATC CLEARANCE. THE OWNER/PILOT WAS NOT INSTRUMENT RATED, THOUGH ANOTHER PILOT, WHO WAS ABOARD, HAD A PRIVATE PILOT CERTIFICATE WITH AN INSTRUMENT RATING. INVESTIGATION DID NOT DETERMINE WHICH PILOT WAS FLYING THE AIRPLANE. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE OF THE AIRPLANE WAS FOUND.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Cessna 177 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 Sep 1993 | Cessna 177B | Fayette, Iowa, United States | Red Baron Flyers, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 7 Dec 1993 | Cessna 177RG | Santa Monica, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 7 Mar 1993 | Cessna 177 | Overbrook, Oklahoma, United States | O'neal, Richard M. | No injuries | - |
| 3 Apr 1993 | Cessna 177RG | Imperial, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 12 Jul 1993 | Cessna 177RG | Marseille, France | NOT Reported | Fatal | 4 |
| 18 Mar 1993 | Cessna 177 | Buena, Washington, United States | Hill, John H. | No injuries | - |
All 1,744 records for this type
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 Jul 1993 | Cessna 310H | Lancaster, California, United States | Yehiem Konski | Fatal | 6 |
| 14 Nov 1993 | Cessna 182 | Colusa, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 20 Jan 1993 | Cessna 172P | Sun City, California, United States | Hiser Helicopters, Inc. | Fatal | 1 |
| 31 Jul 1993 | Robinson R44 | El Monte, California, United States | Benjamin F. Venti, SR. | Fatal | 3 |
| 17 Nov 1993 | Piper PA-38-112 | Fresno, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 21 Jan 1993 | Beechcraft A35 | Tulare, California, United States | Rent and Lease Programs | Fatal | 2 |