- Date
- December 26, 1990, 19:00 local (Dec 27, 1990, 01:00 UTC)
- Place
- Gardner, KS
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N84499Piper PA-28-161
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/bright
- Status
- Completed · report March 5, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19901226056199A
- Case key
- 14890
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
A loss of engine power for undetermined reasons. Darkness was a related factor.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
While cruising at night on an IFR flight in VFR conditions, the pilot reported that the engine had a partial loss of power. Also, he said the aircraft had full fuel tanks and the application of carburetor head did not help. He was vectored toward the nearest airport by ATC. However, the aircraft hit a tree and crashed in an open field about four miles short of the airport.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N84499
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-161
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 82-16034
- Airframe hours
- 4,158
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D3G, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- Kansas City Aviation Center
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · December 14, 1990 · 16 hours before
- Departed
- SLN · Salina, KS
- Destination
- OJC · Olathe, KS
- Flight plan
- IFR
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 48
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 1,147 total · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/bright
- Wind
- 80° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 19 °F, dew point 12 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- OJC, 15 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N84499 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.