Piper PA-24-235 accident near Alliance, Nebraska, August 5, 1983
On August 5, 1983, a Piper PA-24-235, registered N777EE, was substantially damaged in an accident near Alliance, Nebraska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 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
- August 5, 1983
- Place
- Alliance, Nebraska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-24-235 · all PA-24-235s on the register
- Registration
- N777EE · registry record · serial 24-2773
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT STATED THAT HE DEPARTED OSHROSH FOR SCOTTSBLUFF WITH AN ESTIMATED 80 GALLONS OF FUEL ON BOARD THE AIR CRAFT HIS ETE WAS 4 HOURS 30 MINUTES AND FUEL CONSUMPTION AT 15 GPH. APRX 37 NM SHORT OF SCOTTS BLUFF HE NOTICED THE RIGHT FUEL GAUGE INDICATING BELOW THE QUANTITY HE CALCULATED SHOULD HAVE BEEN ABOARD. THIS WAS THE ONLY TANK THAT NOW CONTAINED FUEL. HE REDUCED ENGINE POWER TO 55 PERCENT OF RATED. OVERFLEW ALLIANCE, WHERE FUEL WAS AVAILABLE, AND CONTINUED TO SCOTTSBLUFF. AS THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN ITS DESCENT, THE ENGINE FAILED. THE PILOT TURNED TOWARD ALLIANCE WHILE TRYING TO RESTART THE ENGINE. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED ON A ROLLING SAND HILL APRX 7 MILES SOUTHWEST OF ALLIANCE.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 15,310 hours in all; 900 in this make and model; 240 in the last 90 days; 15,005 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,565 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 1, 1982; 98 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-B145 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OSH Oshkosh WI at 6:43 pm
- Destination: BFF Scottsbluff NE
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds; not recorded
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:40 pm from AIA, 7 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.