Beech 77 accident near Sidney, Ohio, December 4, 1983
On December 4, 1983 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Beech 77, registered N37253, was destroyed in an accident near Sidney, Ohio (Sidney Muni airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured. 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 4, 1983 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Sidney, Ohio · Sidney Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Beech 77 · all 77s on the register
- Registration
- N37253 · registry record · serial WA-122
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRCREW TOOK OFF ON AN IFR FLT FROM DAYTON TO PIQUA & SIDNEY, OH TO PRACTICE APCH'S, THEN THEY INTENDED TO RETURN TO DAYTON. THE COPILOT STATED THAT THEY ENTERED THE CLOUDS AT 700 TO 800 FT AGL & HE DID NOT SEE THE GROUND AGAIN ON THIS FLT. HE REPORTED THAT ICE BEGAN BUILDING ON THE ACFT UNTIL ON A DESCENT TOWARD PIQUA, WHEN REPORTEDLY, IT BEGAN DISSIPATING. A MISSED APCH WAS MADE AT PIQUA WITHOUT SEEING THE ARPT. THE COPILOT STATED THAT THEY WERE UNABLE TO GET A GOOD RATE OF CLIMB. AT 1258 EST, THE AIRCREW REQUESTED VECTORS BACK TO DAYTON (RATHER THAN TO CONTINUE TO SIDNEY) & ADVISED THAT THEY WERE ENCOUNTERING ICE & TURBULENCE. THEY WERE ISSUED A VECTOR, BUT APRX 30 SEC LATER, THEY ADVISED THAT THEY COULD NOT MAINTAIN THEIR ASSIGNED ALT OF 3000 FT. THEY WERE ADVISED THAT VECTORS COULD NOT BE PROVIDEDBELOW 3000 FT, BUT THE SIDNEY ARPT WAS AT THEIR 2 O'CLOCK POSITION AT LESS THAN A MILE. SHORTLY AFTER THAT, THE ACFT CRASHED IN A WOODED AREA APRX 1 1/2 MI WEST OF THE ARPT. REPORTEDLY, RAIN WAS ENCOUNTERED BETWEEN PIQUA & SIDNEY.
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: 947 hours in all; 9 in this make and model; 91 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 892 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,315 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 8, 1983; 72 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,675 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DAY Dayton OH
- Destination: DAY Dayton OH
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 1 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 400 ft; not recorded at 400 ft
- Temperature: 34°F (1°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:50 pm from DAY, 25 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 1 |
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.