Cessna 177RG N34938

Summary

On 14 May 1995 at about 17:03 local time, a Cessna 177RG registered N34938 was involved in an accident near Oakland, California, United States. 4 people were on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

14 May 1995 at 17:03

Classification

Accident

Location

Oakland, California, United States

Nearest airport

Oakland International (OAK)

Coordinates

37.7293, -122.2006

Aircraft

Cessna 177RG

Registration

N34938

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Redding

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX95LA187

1 person had minor injuries.

The pilot's poor preflight planning/preparation by exceeding the airplane certificated maximum allowable takeoff gross weight and failure to abort the takeoff in a timely manner. The ditch was a factor in this accident.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE AIRPLANE EXITED A 3,366 FEET-LONG BY 75-FEET WIDE ASPHALT-SURFACED RUNWAY AND COLLIDED WITH A DITCH AFTER THE PILOT ABORTED THE TAKEOFF. THE PILOT SAID THE ENGINE BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH AND HE ELECTED TO ABORT THE TAKEOFF. ONE OF THE THREE PASSENGERS SAID THAT THE ENGINE APPEARED TO HESITATE, BUT NOT MISFIRE; THE REMAINING TWO PASSENGERS SAID THE ENGINE SOUNDED NORMAL. THE PASSENGERS SAID THE PILOT ABORTED THE TAKEOFF WHEN THE AIRPLANE WAS BETWEEN 1/2 AND 3/4 DISTANCE DOWN THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT SAID THAT HE CALCULATED THE AIRPLANE WEIGHT AND BALANCE BEFORE DEPARTING ON THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT; THE AIRPLANE WEIGHT AND BALANCE WERE FOUND TO BE WITHIN LIMITS. SAFETY BOARD INVESTIGATORS' CALCULATIONS, USING THE ACTUAL OCCUPANTS' WEIGHTS AND THEIR ESTIMATE OF THEIR PERSONAL BAGGAGE WEIGHTS, DISCLOSED THE AIRPLANE EXCEEDED ITS MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE GROSS WEIGHT BY 215.7 POUNDS; THE CENTER OF GRAVITY WAS WITHIN ITS NORMAL RANGE. THE POSTACCIDENT ENGINE EXAMINATION DISCLOSED NO EVIDENCE OF ANY PREIMPACT MALFUNCTIONS OR FAILURES.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.