- Date
- August 12, 1989, 11:15 local (16:15 UTC)
- Place
- Topeka, KS
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N24TWCessna 180
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 24, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890812028849A
- Case key
- 34846
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
The pilot's poorly planned approach and failure to maintain a proper glidepath. A contributing factor was the failure of the engine to supply power.
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 pilot said that he realized he was too high on his approach and executed a slip maneuver on the base to final legs. Then he said that he felt he was too low and applied additional throttle. He said that there was no response to the throttle application which resulted in a landing in a corn field short of the runway. Post accident investigation and engine run-up revealed no malfunction of the engine and components.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N24TW
- Reported as
- Cessna 180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 31611
- Airframe hours
- 9,309
- Engine
- Continental IO-470-F, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Reynolds, Earl D.
- Registered owner
- Reynolds, Earl D
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 15, 1989 · 42 hours before
- Departed
- OJC · Olathe, KS
- Destination
- TOP · Topeka, KS
- Airport
- TOP · Billard, runway 17, 5,099 × 150 ft, concrete
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 37
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 716 total · 133 in this make and model · 625 as pilot in command · 96 in the last 90 days · 38 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 59 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- TOP, 1 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.