Piper PA-28-180 accident near Lee'S Summit, Missouri, July 18, 2002
On July 18, 2002 at about 12:40 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-180, registered N5164L, was destroyed in an accident near Lee'S Summit, Missouri (Lee'S Summit Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The inadequate preflight planning/preparation, the flight into instrument meteorological conditions, and lack of instrument certification by the pilot. Contributing factors were fog/clouds and the pilot's nondisclosure of his physical condition to the Federal Aviation Administration.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 18, 2002 · about 12:40 pm local time
- Place
- Lee'S Summit, Missouri · Lee'S Summit Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-180 · all PA-28-180s on the register
- Registration
- N5164L · registry record · serial 28-4449
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was destroyed when it impacted terrain and a single family home adjacent to the departure airport after the pilot took off into instrument meteorological conditions. The airplane was seen descending out of these conditions in a steep right turn over the airport. The non-instrument rated pilot had a total flight time of 228 hours over the past seven years, of which 7.4 hours were in the past year, 4.1 hours were in the past 90 days, and 0 hours were in the past 30 days. The pilot had been under treatment for multiple chronic painful conditions, and had been prescribed tramadol as a primary treatment for those conditions. The medication was found at a level several times higher than the maximum expected from the dose prescribed to the pilot. Tramadol is a prescription narcotic-like painkiller used for the management of moderate to severe pain. Common side effects of tramadol include dizziness and sleepiness, and at least one study has noted a decrease in complex task performance with the use of the drug. The pilot had also been treated for anxiety and depression. He withheld information regarding treatment for these conditions from the Federal Aviation Administration and was issued a third class medical certificate. Examination of the airplane revealed no anomalies which 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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 228 hours in all; 83 in this make and model; 4 in the last 90 days; 0 in the last 30 days; 180 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: March 29, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 20, 2002
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4A (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Midwest Executive Aircraft, Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: LXT Lee Summit MO at 12:40 pm
- Destination: Miami OK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 4,015 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 1.8 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 300 ft; clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 12:43 pm from LXT
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
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.