Cessna 177 N9055J

Summary

On 8 August 1995 at about 16:56 local time, a Cessna 177 registered N9055J was involved in an accident near Delavan, Wisconsin, United States. 4 people were on board and 4 were seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

8 August 1995 at 16:56

Classification

Accident

Location

Delavan, Wisconsin, United States

Coordinates

42.6208, -88.6305

Aircraft

Cessna 177

Registration

N9055J

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Wheeling → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI95LA263

4 people were seriously injured.

the pilot's failure to assure an adequate amount of fuel was available for the flight. A factor was the improperly installed fuel level transmitter.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

Witnesses reported seeing the airplane flying low overhead; the engine was cutting out and then quit altogether. The airplane impacted the ground in a corn field 1 hour and 26 minutes after takeoff. There was no evidence of fuel at the accident site and no signs of fuel leakage or fuel venting. The airplane impacted the ground in a 30 degree nose down pitch attitude and in a 30 degree right roll. The right fuel tank gauge indicated about 1/8 tank of fuel. The right fuel tank fuel transmitter float was caught up on the rib inside the fuel tank. An examination of the fuel level float revealed that the wire which extended past the fuel level float had not been trimmed as required and was able to contact the wing station rib #68. The fuel level transmitter was an authorized replacement part and had not been installed on the aircraft as new equipment. The engine was removed from the airplane for a test cell run, and operated normally and within performance specifications. A passenger had observed the pilot checking both fuel tanks, and the pilot indicated that there was 3-1/2 hours of fuel on board the airplane.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.