Piper PA-32-300 accident near Olathe, Kansas, December 25, 2001
On December 25, 2001 at about 4:16 pm local time, a Piper PA-32-300, registered N666DE, was substantially damaged in an accident near Olathe, Kansas (Johnson County Executive 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during landing resulting in the overload of the nose gear fork. The overload failure of the nose landing gear fork, the embankment, and the remedial action not possible were contributing factors.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 25, 2001 · about 4:16 pm local time
- Place
- Olathe, Kansas · Johnson County Executive
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32-300 · all PA-32-300s on the register
- Registration
- N666DE · registry record · serial 32-7540161
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was damaged when it went off of the left side of the runway, crossed a parallel taxiway and went down an embankment during landing. The pilot stated that when he applied the brakes during the landing, "...it felt like the left brake 'grabbed' and jerked me to the left. While still on the runway I applied power and right rudder to try to straighten me out. I immediately [went] left very quickly on to the grass." Subsequent to the accident, the nose landing gear fork was found fractured in two places near the attachment to the strut portion of the landing gear. No other anomalies were found with respect to the airplane, or its systems that were determined to have existed prior to impact. The nose landing gear fork was examined by the National Transportation Safety Board's Materials Laboratory. The fork was found to have deformation consistent with excessive lateral loading. The fracture surfaces were examined and both fractures exhibited signatures consistent with overstress. No evidence of fatigue or preexisting damage was found.
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: 261 hours in all; 12 in this make and model; 39 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days; 231 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 1, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,788 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 15, 2001; 42 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OJC Olathe KS
- Destination: OJC
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 4,099 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 27°F (-3°C), dew point 18°F (-8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.14 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from OJC
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.
Other NTSB records under N666DE the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.