Beech 77 accident near Linden, California, May 1, 1983
On May 1, 1983 at about 11:05 pm local time, a Beech 77, registered N36986, was destroyed in an accident near Linden, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. 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
- May 1, 1983 · about 11:05 pm local time
- Place
- Linden, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 77 · all 77s on the register
- Registration
- N36986 · no longer on the register · serial WA166
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT WAS CRUISING AT 3000 FEET BENEATH AN OVERCAST SKY WITH INTERMITTENT RAIN. THE CARB HEAT WAS OFF. AFTER ABOUT 20 MINUTES OF FLIGHT THE RPM BEGAN TO SLOWLY DECREASE.THE PILOT BRIEFLY APPLIED CARB HEAT BUT AS THE RPM ONLY FLUCTUATED AND POWER WAS NOT IMMEDIATELY RETURNED HE DISCONTINUED USING IT. THE PILOT HAD NEVER EXPERIENCED CARBURETOR ICE. AS ALL POWER WAS BEING LOST THE PILOT BROADCAST MAYDAY AND BEGAN TO LOOK FOR A LANDING SPOT. AS POWER SHUT DWN WAS PROGRESSING SOME POWER RETURNED. THE ACFT WAS NURSED ALONG AT VERY LOW ALTITUDE AND FINALLY LANDED ON A ROCKY SLOPE AFTER OVERSHOOTING AN OPEN FIELD. AS ACFT DECELERATED ITS NOSE GEAR WAS TORN OFF.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 379 hours in all; 158 in this make and model; 42 in the last 90 days; 269 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 750 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 14, 1982; 43 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,675 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: 068 Mariposa CA at 10:30 pm
- Destination: OVE Oroville CA
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,200 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:45 pm from SCK, 19 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.