Cessna 177 accident near Dayton, Ohio, December 25, 1982
On December 25, 1982 at about 9:37 pm local time, a Cessna 177, registered N3136T, was substantially damaged in an accident near Dayton, Ohio. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured; 3 others were unhurt. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 25, 1982 · about 9:37 pm local time
- Place
- Dayton, Ohio · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 3 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 177 · all 177s on the register
- Registration
- N3136T · no longer on the register · serial 17700436
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT TOOK OFF WITH AN ESTIMATE 4 HRS OF FUEL ON BOARD. WHILE EN ROUTE, HE ENCOUNTERED HEADWINDS THAT WERE STRONGER THAN EXPECTED. AFTER ABOUT 3 HRS AND 48 MIN OF FLIGHT, HE WAS STILL ABOUT 27 TO 28 MI FROM HIS DESTINATION AND DIVERTED TO THE DAYTON GENERAL SOUTH AIRPORT AT DAYTON, OH. PRIOR TO REACHING THE AIRPORT, THE ENGINE LOST POWER FROM FUEL EXHAUSTION AFTER ABOUT 3 HRS AND 55 MIN OF FLIGHT. AS THE PILOT WAS MAKING A FORCED IN A STREET, THE PLANE STRUCK AN OVERHANGING TREE WHILE IT WAS STILL ABOUT 50 TO 75 FT AGL.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 258 hours in all; 193 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 174 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,611 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,350 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 22G Elyria OH at 12:39 pm
- Destination: HAO Hamilton OH
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 14 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 800 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 142°F (61°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:33 pm from DAY, 12 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.