Beech 60 accident near Wichita, Kansas, September 29, 1983
On September 29, 1983 at about 10:20 pm local time, a Beech 60, registered N7277R, was destroyed in an accident near Wichita, Kansas (Beech Factory airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. 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
- September 29, 1983 · about 10:20 pm local time
- Place
- Wichita, Kansas · Beech Factory · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 60 · all 60s on the register
- Registration
- N7277R · no longer on the register · serial P-318
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF, THE LEFT ENG BEGAN TO PROGRESSIVELY LOSE POWER & WAS SHUT DOWN. THE AIRCREW NOTIFIED BEECH TOWER OF THE PROBLEM & REPORTED THEY WOULD LIKE TO RETURN & LAND. THE ACFT WAS OBSERVED ON FINAL APCH TO RWY 18 WITH THE GEAR EXTENDED & THE LEFT PROP STOPPED. BEFORE LANDING, THE ACFT BEGAN VEERING TO THE LEFT. IT CROSSED OVER THE END OF THE ARPT AT ABOUT 40 FT AGL & 300 FT LEFT (EAST) OF THE RWY. THE LEFT WING & NOSE DROPPED & THE ACFT IMPACTED THE RAMP, LEFT WING 1ST. THE ACFT THEN SKIDDED ACROSS THE RAMP ON A HEADING OF 160 DEG & COLLIDED WITH & DAMAGED 3 OTHER ACFT; A BEECH F33A, N1833S; ANOTHER BEECH 60, N6747D; & A BEECH 58, N5800B. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE #2 EXHAUST VALVE LIFTER HAD BECOME FLAT & THE #2 EXHAUST VALVE HAD FAILED FROM FATIGUE.
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: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 3,600 hours in all; 60 in this make and model; 153 in the last 90 days; 3,285 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,100 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 17, 1983; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,725 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TIO-541-E1C4 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Destination: GRR Grand Rapids MI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 5,000 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 17 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 9,000 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.