Boeing A75N1 (PT17) accident near Osage City, Kansas, April 28, 2016
On April 28, 2016 at about 8:10 pm local time, a 1942 Boeing A75N1 (PT17), registered N17PY, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Osage City, Kansas (Osage City Muni airport). It was a skydiving flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A partial loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined based on the available information.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 28, 2016 · about 8:10 pm local time
- Place
- Osage City, Kansas · Osage City Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing A75N1 (PT17), built 1942 · all A75N1 (PT17)s on the register
- Registration
- N17PY · no longer on the register · serial 75-5554
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Skydiving flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane departed on a parachute jump flight with the airline transport pilot seated in the rear cockpit and two parachutists standing outside on the lower wing. About 200 ft above ground level, the pilot sensed a loss of engine power and the airplane stopped climbing. The airplane descended, and the pilot conducted an off-airport forced landing to a flat, open, muddy field about 1,600 ft north of the airport, during which the main landing gear separated from the airframe. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed no anomalies. Review of weather information for the area at the time of the accident indicated that conditions were conducive to the accumulation of serious icing at glide power settings; however, the airplane was operating at takeoff power at the time of the accident, and the reason for the loss of engine power could not be determined.
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
What happened, in order
- Fuel related during initial climb defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
- Landing gear collapse during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › (general) › Damaged/degraded
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Ice/rain protection system › Intake anti › ice, deice › Not used/operated
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 8,625 hours in all; 85 in this make and model; 35 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 4,088 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 23, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: none
Passenger
- Seat: none
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,679 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 11, 2016; 26 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental W670-6A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 53K Osage City KS at 8:10 pm
- Destination: 53K Osage City KS
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 35, 2,560 ft by 40 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,700 ft
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from KFOE, 20 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
15 documents, released by the NTSB on May 7, 2018. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | FAA Inspector's Record of Pilot Interview | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Witness Statement, Nathaniel Perlman | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Witness Statement, Ray Lallo | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Witness Statement, William Hubbell | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Witness Statement, Todd Wiggins | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 7 | Statement, Scott Davis and Dave Brecheisen | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 8 | Map, Osage City Airport, Kansas | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 9 | Google Earth, Accident Location | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 10 | Kansas Highway Patrol Incident Report | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 11 | Spark Plug Examination Results | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 12 | Magnetos Examination Notes | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 13 | Weather Information, Topeka Forbes Airport, Kansas | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 14 | Carburetor Icing Probability Chart | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 15 | Photo of Accident Scene | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.