Piper PA-28-181 accident near Kansas City, Missouri, May 22, 2023
On May 22, 2023 at about 2:47 pm local time, a 2022 Piper PA-28-181, registered N227XY, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Kansas City, Missouri (Charles B Wheeler Downtown airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot's failure to maintain directional control during takeoff.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 22, 2023 · about 2:47 pm local time
- Place
- Kansas City, Missouri · Charles B Wheeler Downtown · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-181, built 2022 · all PA-28-181s on the register
- Registration
- N227XY · registry record · serial 2881571
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot was performing his seventh solo takeoff, when the tower controller cleared him for takeoff and told him to expedite due to other traffic. He added full throttle and looked down to check his airspeed; however, when he looked back up to the runway the airplane was left of the runway centerline. The student pilot applied right rudder and the airplane veered to the right. He then removed the right rudder input and the airplane “darted” to the left, exited the runway, and impacted a ditch and a runway sign. The airplane came to rest in the grass alongside of the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left and right wings. The student pilot reported no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Runway excursion during takeoff
- Loss of control on ground during takeoff defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 43 hours in all; 43 in this make and model; 43 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: May 22, 2023
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 652.3 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 8, 2023; 60.6 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO360-B4A (piston); 6,523 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 19, 6,827 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 5,500 ft
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.10 inHg
- Observation at 9:45 am from KMKC
Weather report (METAR): METAR KMKC 221445Z 00000KT 10SM FEW055 20/13 A3010 RMK T02000130
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on July 7, 2023. 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, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photos | PDF, 3 pages | 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.