- Date
- January 20, 1987, 12:28 local (18:28 UTC)
- Place
- Independence, MO
- Injuries
- 6 fatal
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N60SEPiper PA-31-350USABeech U-21A-BH
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 12, 1988
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 1
- NTSB office
- Major Investigations Division
- Safety recommendations
- Yes
- FAA report
- 19870120081081A
- Case key
- 15873
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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
The two acft, a Beech U-21A and a Piper PA-31-350, collided nearly head on at 7000 ft MSL over Independence, MO. In daylight VMC conditions with a visibility of 20 miles. The U-21 was in level cruise and the PA-31 was climbing eastbound to an undisclosed alt enroute to saint louis. Both acft were equipped with operating mode-c transponders but the controller in contact with the U-21 did not observe the conflict and traffic advisories were not provided. The PA-31 was operating in accordance with visual flt rules. The U-21 was operating in accordance with instrument flt rules. After the collision both acft crashed in uncontrolled descent. There was no indication that either acft took any evasive action. The conflict alert subprogram of the arts iii tracking system was not programmed to alert the controllers to the impending collision and the two controllers did not observe any target in the vicinity of the data block representing the U-21. (See NTSB/AAR-88/01).
Aircraft · 2
- Registration
- N60SE
- Reported as
- Piper PA-31-350
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 31-8352010
- Airframe hours
- 891
- Engine
- Lycoming TIO-540-J2BD, 350 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Executive/Corporate · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Sachs Electric Co.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 23, 1986 · 30 hours before
- Departed
- MKC · Kansas City, MO
- Destination
- SUS · St.Louis, MO
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.
- Registration
- USA
- Reported as
- Beech U-21A-BH
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- LM-62
- Airframe hours
- 10,729
- Engine
- P&W T74-CP-700, 550 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Armed forces
- Departed
- ANB · Anniston, AL
- Destination
- FLV · Ft. Leavenworth, KS
- Flight plan
- IFR
Flight crew · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N60SE
- Age
- 42
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 7,418 total · 596 in this make and model · 6,988 as pilot in command · 52 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft 2
- Age
- 40
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Military, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 5,983 total · 217 in this make and model · 4,912 as pilot in command · 128 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 13 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 28 °F, dew point 14 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MCI, 25 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.