# Accident 19971204036979A: Piper PA34200T, Lee'S Summit, MO, December 4, 1997 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: December 4, 1997, 18:15 local time - Place: Lee'S Summit, MO - Airport: Lee'S Summit Municipal Airport - Damage: Destroyed - Phase of flight: Forced/Precautionary Landing - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 38.9099° N, 94.4009° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.9099&lon=-94.4009&mi=10 - Aircraft: N8189P, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N8189P-2013-06-27) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Piper PA-34-200T (registry code 7103406, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-34-200t) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Continental TSIO-360 series (registry code 17019, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-tsio-360-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA34200T - Reported engine: CONT TSIO360EB - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 2,100 total, 500 in this make and model, 59 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB CHI98LA054](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI98LA054) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19971204036979A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. NARRATIVE: THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED LEES SUMMIT AIRPORT AND CRASHED ONE MILE SOUTH OF AIRPORT. THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED IN A BEAN FIELD AT THE CORNER OF DOUGLAS AND COLBERN RD. GO EAST ON 470 AND TAKE DOUGLAS EXIT. GO NORTH TO STOPLIGHT AND MAKE A RIGHT, AT THAT POINT THE AIRCRAFT IS 500' AWAY. BOTH WINGS ARE BROKEN ON THE AIRCRAFT AND THE LANDING GEAR DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE DOWN. THE PROP ON THE LEFT ENGINE SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT AND IS STICKING IN THE GROUND. THE PILOT WALKED 500 YARDS TO A HOUSE TO GET ASSISTANCE, HE WAS TAKEN TO RESEARCH MEDICAL CENTER. THE PILOTS PERSONAL BELONGINGS WERE REMOVED FROM THE AIRCRAFT BY THE LEES SUMMIT POLICE DEPARTMENT. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ (.4)THE PILOT REPORTED TAKING OFF DURING GUSTY WIND CONDITIONS ON A DARK NIGHT. HE SAID THAT SHORTLY AFTER LIFTOFF, THE AIRPLANE '...VEERED SHARPLY TO THE LEFT... .' THE PILOT SAID HE APPLIED FULL RIGHT RUDDER AND AILERON TO MAINTAIN A '...SOMEWHAT LEVEL...' ATTITUDE. HE SAID THE AIRPLANE FLEW THROUGH THE TOPS OF TREES BEFORE IT COLLIDED WITH THE GROUND, WHILE HE WAS MANEUVERING TO RETURN TO THE AIRPORT. THE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE LEFT ENGINE'S PROPELLER WAS NOT FEATHERED, AND THE LANDING GEAR WAS IN THE DOWN POSITION. NO MECHANICAL ANOMALIES WERE FOUND WITH THE ENGINE OR AIRFRAME THAT WOULD HAVE PREVENTED FLIGHT. THE LEFT ENGINE MAGNETO SWITCHES WERE FOUND IN THE OFF POSITION. THE LANDING LIGHT SWITCHES WERE ON. THE MAGNETO SWITCH GUARD COVER'S SELF-ERECTING SPRINGS WERE BROKEN ALLOWING THE GUARD COVER TO COVER THE LANDING LIGHT SWITCHES INSTEAD OF THE MAGNETO SWITCHES. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB CHI98LA054](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI98LA054), Dec 5, 1997: Piper PA-34-200T (N8189P), Lee'S Summit, MO, destroyed. Probable cause: the pilot's inadequate remedial action concerning the loss of engine power, after inadvertently switching off the magnetos. Factors relating to the accident were: the broken springs for magneto cover… ## Other reports on N8189P (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Incident 19880222025419I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19880222025419I), Feb 22, 1988: Piper PA34200T (N8189P), Dayton, OH, Minor damage. Distracted by turbulence failed to check gear down. Landed gear up. Faulty gear switch popped the circuit breaker. From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.