Cessna 177 N3477T

Summary

On 28 July 2018 at about 17:23 local time, a Cessna 177 registered N3477T was involved in an accident near San Diego/El Cajon, California, United States. 3 people were on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

28 July 2018 at 17:23

Classification

Accident

Location

San Diego/El Cajon, California, United States

Nearest airport

Gillespie Field (SEE)

Coordinates

32.8261, -116.9725

Aircraft

Cessna 177

Registration

N3477T

Category

Airplane

Year built

1968

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

San Diego/El Cajon → Lompoc

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR18LA205

1 person had minor injuries.

The pilot’s inadequate preflight planning, which resulted in his exceedance of the airplane's maximum gross weight, which lead to the airplane's poor climb performance, and a subsequent loss of control and impact with terrain.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that, while departing on a cross-country flight from the 2,738-ft-long runway, the engine lost partial power about 100 ft above ground level during the initial climb. He lowered the airplane's nose, which appeared to restore engine power, then raised the nose again as the airplane approached the end of the runway. The engine then experienced a "severe" loss of power and the airplane subsequently impacted a dirt field at the departure end of the runway. Postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no preimpact anomalies that would have precluded normal operation, and review of data from the onboard engine monitor revealed that the engine was producing full power throughout the takeoff. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector spoke to several witnesses who saw the pilot fill a truck bed with belongings from the accident airplane, including wooden crates full of avocados. The pilot confirmed that he had a "substantial amount" of cargo on board, and that he did not calculate the airplane's weight and balance for the flight. Based on the available information, it is likely that the pilot's inadequate preflight planning resulted in his exceedance of the airplane's maximum gross weight, which lead to the the airplane's poor climb performance, the perceived loss of engine power, and the subsequent loss of control and impact with terrain.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.