Cessna 177 N34959

Summary

On 13 January 2026 at about 20:30 local time, a Cessna 177 registered N34959 was involved in an accident near Ocoee, Tennessee, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. No probable cause has been published yet; this accident is still under investigation.

Date

13 January 2026 at 20:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Ocoee, Tennessee, United States

Coordinates

35.1040, -84.6750

Aircraft

Cessna 177

Registration

N34959

Category

Airplane

Year built

1974

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Chattanooga → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA26LA093

1 person had minor injuries.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. The investigation is still open; a final report usually follows one to two years after the accident.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

On January 13, 2026, about 1530 eastern standard time, a Cessna 177B, N34959, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Ocoee, Tennessee. The pilot received minor injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. According to the pilot, the airplane had been undergoing maintenance for the past 11 months following a propeller strike. The repairs and the annual inspection were completed the day before the accident flight. After refueling the fuel tanks and performing a preflight inspection, with no anomalies observed, he departed from Lovell Field Airport (CHA), Chattanooga, Tennessee, and proceeded east. About 20 minutes after departure, and at an altitude of 4,500 ft mean sea level (msl), the engine rpm increased to 3,000 rpm, which is 300 rpm above the engine’s maximum operating rpm, followed by an engine vibration. The pilot declared an emergency to air traffic control but determined he would be unable to reach the nearest airport and initiated a forced landing in a field. During the landing rollout, the airplane continued into a wooded area and impacted trees. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed it had sustained substantial damage to the wings, the fuselage, and the horizontal stabilator. A coating consistent with engine oil was observed on the left side of the engine and fuselage. The wreckage was retained for further examination.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.