Boeing E75 accident near Benton, Kansas, September 7, 2025
On September 7, 2025 at about 10:04 pm local time, a 1943 Boeing E75, registered N75675, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR pattern final) near Benton, Kansas (Lloyd Stearman Fld airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from a moving vehicle during an evasive maneuver from a perceived conflict with another airplane. Contributing to the accident was the pilot of the other airplane’s non-standard phraseology and inaccurate position report.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 7, 2025 · about 10:04 pm local time
- Place
- Benton, Kansas · Lloyd Stearman Fld · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing E75, built 1943 · all E75s on the register
- Registration
- N75675 · registry record · serial 75-5163
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was in the traffic pattern for the private airport and planning to land in the grass next to the paved runway. As the pilot made a turn to final approach, he heard another airplane report being “short final” for the same runway. The pilot and passenger attempted to make visual contact with the other airplane. Unable to make visual contact with the other airplane, the pilot elected to quickly land his airplane. The pilot conducted a forward slip during his descent, and the airplane’s main landing gear impacted an automobile that was being driven on the adjacent roadway near the approach end of the runway. The airplane landed hard in the grass and came to rest inverted resulting in substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer, rudder, upper right and left wings, and both wing struts. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The displaced threshold for the landing runway was located about 242 ft from the approach end of the runway. The roadway that crossed the extended runway centerline was located about 36 ft from the approach end of the runway pavement, about 278 ft from the displaced threshold. The (Obstacle) Departure Procedures for the airport list vehicles on road beginning 20 ft from the runway and left and right of centerline. According to the pilot, after the accident it was reported that the other airplane was about 5 miles from the airport when that pilot radioed he was on “short final” for the runway. The Aeronautical Information Manual states that inbound pilots should self-announce on UNICOM when they are 10 miles out, entering downwind, base, final, and when leaving the runway.
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
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during approach (VFR pattern final) defining event
- Air traffic event during approach (VFR pattern final)
- Abrupt maneuver during approach (VFR pattern final)
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Descent/approach/glide path › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Ground vehicle › Effect on operation
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › (general) › (general) › Pilot of other aircraft
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › (general) › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,800 hours in all; 1,800 in this make and model; 55 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: July 15, 2024
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (waiver time limited special)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,849.1 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 1, 2025
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental W-670 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: K34 Gardner KS at 8:11 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17/3, 5,106 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 8 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.18 inHg
- Observation at 4:54 pm from KAAO, 5 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KAAO 072154Z AUTO 18008G17KT 10SM CLR 24/09 A3018 RMK AO2 SLP215 T02440094
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN25LA370.