On May 28, 1998, a Cessna 177RG (registration N1849Q) was involved in an aviation accident near Tocsin, IN. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: the pilot's failure to obtain adequate airspeed during the takeoff climb and the resulting inadvertant stall. A factor in the accident was the pilot's premature raising of the flaps. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
During takeoff, the pilot reported normal engine operation but insufficient climb. The stall horn activated, and despite flap retraction and a turn to avoid wires, the airplane mushed into terrain. Post-accident inspection found no mechanical reason for the lack of climb.
Pilot Report
The pilot stated that the engine was running normally during the takeoff, but the airplane did not seem to want to climb. As the airplane neared the end of the runway, the pilot raised the landing gear, at which point the stall horn activated. The pilot then retracted the flaps from 10 degrees to fully retracted and made a turn to avoid wires ahead. The airplane subsequently "mushed" into the terrain.
Post-Accident Inspection
A post-accident inspection of the airplane and engine failed to reveal any reason why the airplane would not have been capable of obtaining a normal rate of climb during the takeoff.