Beech 77 accident near Renton, Washington, April 29, 1983
On April 29, 1983 at about 9:05 pm local time, a Beech 77, registered N67140, was destroyed in an accident near Renton, Washington (Renton airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. 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
- April 29, 1983 · about 9:05 pm local time
- Place
- Renton, Washington · Renton · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 77 · all 77s on the register
- Registration
- N67140 · no longer on the register · serial WA66
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT WAS TAKING OFF FOR A 1 HOUR ENGINE RUN-IN FOLLOWING A TOP OVERHAUL. AFTER LIFTOFF THE ENGINE BEGAN A GRADUAL POWER LOSS AND ROUGH RUNNING. THE PILOT WAS TRYING TURNING BACK TO THE RUNWAY TO LAND WHEN TOTAL POWER LOSS OCCURRED. THE ACFT HAD TURNED 45 DEGREES WHEN THE NOSE FELL THROUGH, THE WINGS ROTATED 180 DEGREES TO THE LEFT AND THE ACFT IMPACTED NOSE FIRST ON THE RUNWAY. THE MECHANIC WHO PERFORMED THE REMOVAL AND REINSTALLATION OF THE CYLINDERS FOR THE TOP OVERHAUL WAS OCCUPYING THE LEFT SEAT. THE MAINTENANCE SUPERVISOR WAS THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND IN THE RIGHT SEAT. THE LOCKING NUT ON THE #1 CYLINDER EXHAUST VALVE ADJUSTING SCREW WAS FOUND LOOSE AND THE ADJUSTING SCREW HAD BACKED OUT OF THE ROCKER ARM BY PUSHROD ACTION DURING TAKEOFF, NEGATING ROCKER ARM ACTION AND EXHAUST VALVE OPENING. THE LOCKING NUTS FOR ALL OF THE OTHER VALVE ADJUSTING SCREWS WERE FOUND PROPERLY TORQUED.
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; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 473 hours in all; 7 in this make and model; 168 in the last 90 days; 145 in the last 30 days; 346 as pilot in command; 147 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 679 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 3, 1982; 103 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,675 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 15, 5,379 ft by 200 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:00 pm from RNT
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.