Cessna 140 accident near Hastings, Michigan, October 1, 1983
On October 1, 1983 at about 3:20 pm local time, a Cessna 140, registered N76639, was substantially damaged in an accident near Hastings, Michigan. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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
- October 1, 1983 · about 3:20 pm local time
- Place
- Hastings, Michigan
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 140 · all 140s on the register
- Registration
- N76639 · no longer on the register · serial 246-72-6-12
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE INSTRUCTOR PLT (CFI) KNEW THAT THE ACFT WAS GETTING LOW ON FUEL, BUT HE WANTED THE STUDENT TO MAKE ONE MORE TAKEOFF & LANDING. WHEN THE ACFT WAS CLIMBING THRU ABOUT 200 FT AFTER TAKEOFF, THE ENG BEGAN LOSING POWER. THE CFI ASSUMED CONTROL OF THE ACFT & SWITCHED THE FUEL SELECTOR TO THE LEFT TANK WHICH INDICATED 1/4 FULL. HOWEVER, THE ENG WOULD NOT RESTART. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ACFT WAS DAMAGED DURING A LANDING ON ROUGH TERRAIN.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,413 hours in all; 65 in this make and model; 16 in the last 90 days; 1,218 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,117 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 30, 1983
- Maximum gross weight: 1,500 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-85 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 9D9 Hastings MI at 11:20 pm
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
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.