Cessna 177B N345MT

Summary

On 12 July 2010 at about 01:10 local time, a Cessna 177B registered N345MT, operated by N345MT LLC, was involved in an accident near Owasso, Oklahoma, United States. 3 people were on board and 3 died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

12 July 2010 at 01:10

Classification

Accident

Location

Owasso, Oklahoma, United States

Nearest airport

Gundy's Airport (O38)

Coordinates

36.2667, -95.7833

Aircraft

Cessna 177B

Registration

N345MT

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

N345MT LLC

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Goldsby → Owasso

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN10FA385

3 people died.

The pilot’s failure to maintain adequate airspeed during an engine-out approach to the runway, resulting in an aerodynamic stall and spin. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s inadequate preflight planning, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot and passengers were on the return leg of a cross-country flight. Witnesses reported seeing the airplane approach the airfield in a left turn before losing altitude in a spin. The airplane impacted the ground in a left-wing and nose-low attitude just north and slightly east of the runway. Two witnesses added that the airplane was quiet as it approached the airport; a third witness thought the airplane’s engine was “cutting in-and-out”. A postaccident examination revealed that both wing tanks were intact and contained no fuel. The grass area underneath each fuel tank did not indicate fuel contamination or fuelblight. The firewall fuel strainer, which sustained impact damage, was absent debris and fuel. The carburetor received impact damage and two of its front attachment bolts were broken. The carburetor’s fuel bowl drain plug was removed and contained only a few drops of fuel. Inspection of the engine and propeller revealed the absence of power signatures. Examination of the engine and airframe revealed no evidence of a mechanical malfunction prior to the accident. The accident is consistent with the airplane entering a stall/spin as a result of the pilot allowing the airspeed to decay in an attempt to reach the runway in an engine-out situation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.