Cessna 140 accident near Alliance, Ohio, July 9, 2000
On July 9, 2000 at about 2:30 am local time, a Cessna 140, registered N3583V, was substantially damaged in an accident near Alliance, Ohio (Barber airport). It was a personal 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 pilot's improper decision to abort the takeoff. A factor in this accident was the dark night conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 9, 2000 · about 2:30 am local time
- Place
- Alliance, Ohio · Barber · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 140 · all 140s on the register
- Registration
- N3583V · registry record · serial 14852
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was departing a 2,088 foot-long, turf runway, in night visual meteorological conditions. The pilot stated that the airplane accelerated normally; however, he felt uncomfortable not being able to see the tree line at the end of the runway and described his view as, 'looking into a black hole.' When the airplane was about three-quarters of the way down the runway, he elected to abort the takeoff. During the aborted takeoff, he applied heavy braking; however, the airplane entered an area of mud located at the end of the runway, and nosed over. The pilot reported 315 hours of total fight experience, of which, about 70 hours were in make and model. Additionally, the pilot had accumulated 15.3 hours of night flight experience; which included about 1 hour of night flight time and five night takeoffs and landings during the 20 days prior to the accident.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 319 hours in all; 64 in this make and model; 43 in the last 90 days; 14 in the last 30 days; 266 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,100 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 3, 2000; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,450 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-90-12F (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 2D1 at 2:30 am
- Destination: 1G1 Elyria OH
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 9, 2,088 ft by 130 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; scat at 13,000 ft
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 12°F (-11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:51 am from CAK, 260 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.