History of Flight
On May 1, 2025, at approximately 0820 Pacific standard time, a Cessna 177RG airplane, registration N52156, sustained substantial damage in an accident near Grass Valley, California. The pilot, the sole occupant, was fatally injured. The flight was conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight.
The airplane departed Auburn Municipal Airport (AUN) at 0805 and climbed to about 4,400 feet en route to Nevada County Airport (GOO). According to archived audio from the GOO common traffic advisory frequency (CTAF) and a witness, the pilot reported his position four miles south of GOO at traffic pattern altitude. About three minutes later, he reported being half a mile south of the airport and intending to cross midfield and enter a left downwind for runway 07. Subsequent transmissions indicated his left downwind and left base turns. Approximately 30 seconds after reporting his left base turn, the pilot declared a mayday, stating he had lost engine power. The witness noted no indication of engine trouble prior to the mayday call and described the pilot’s transmissions as calm and professional.
ADS-B data showed that the flight track deviated from the left base-to-final turn, making a right turn southward, away from the airport, likely toward an open area for an emergency landing. The accident site was about one mile west of the airport, adjacent to a road.
Pilot Information
The pilot held a private pilot certificate with an airplane single-engine land rating. He had accumulated 311.6 total flight hours since 1979, including 64.1 hours in the accident airplane. He received 3.7 hours of dual instruction in the accident airplane in March 2024. No flight review endorsement was found in his logbook.
Aircraft Information
The airplane was a Cessna 177RG. Its most recent annual inspection was completed on April 21, 2025, during which a J.P.I. Instruments (JPI) engine data management system and fuel flow transducer were installed, and the right fuel tank sending unit gasket was replaced. After the inspection, the airplane flew two flights totaling 1.5 hours. On the accident flight, the airplane departed with 34 gallons of fuel: 18 gallons in the left wing tank and 16 gallons in the right wing tank.
The airplane was not equipped with a flight recorder, but it carried a JPI engine monitor that recorded cylinder head temperature (CHT) and exhaust gas temperature (EGT). Data from the unit indicated engine startup occurred about 42 minutes before takeoff, and engine parameters were normal until the final seconds, when CHTs and EGTs for all four cylinders spiked briefly before dropping rapidly.
Wreckage Examination
The main wreckage came to rest inverted about 250 feet from damaged 60-foot trees. The stabilator was found separated in three pieces along the debris line. Both propeller blades were bent aft near midspan. Both wings sustained significant impact damage, and both fuel tanks were breached. Approximately 6 gallons of fuel remained in the left tank, while the right tank contained about one cup. The fuel selector valve was in the "Both" position.
Postaccident examination of the engine revealed that the B-nut on the fuel line from the fuel servo to the fuel flow divider was more than half a turn loose, with blue fuel staining nearby. The B-nut on the outlet of the fuel strainer was finger tight, and the fitting on the inlet side of the fuel flow transducer was loose and rotated freely. No other preimpact anomalies that would have precluded normal engine operation were found.
Regulatory Reference
Title 14 CFR Part 43, Appendix D specifies that annual and 100-hour inspections must include checking engine components for evidence of fuel leaks and inspecting lines, hoses, and clamps for leaks, improper condition, and looseness.