Piper PA-18-135 accident near Kansas City, Missouri, July 26, 2007
On July 26, 2007 at about 5:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-18-135, registered N197T, was substantially damaged in an accident near Kansas City, Missouri. It was an instructional 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 manitain directional control during landing which resulted in the airplane striking a taxiway sign during the aborted landing. The crosswind and the sign were factors.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 26, 2007 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Kansas City, Missouri · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18-135 · all PA-18-135s on the register
- Registration
- N197T · no longer on the register · serial 18-2311
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The certified flight instructor stated that the flight touched down on centerline of runway 19 and a gust of wind lifted the airplane from the ground and weathervaned it into the wind. He stated that the airplane did not respond to rudder input and he added more power in an attempt to gain more control authority. He stated that the airplane responded and came back to the runway heading and he added full power for liftoff. He stated that he heard and felt the aircraft hit a sign. He stated that he landed the airplane without further incident. A taxiway sign was found to have been struck. The pilot reported no mechanical failures or malfunctions of the airplane. The winds were from 240 degrees at 10 knots.
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
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,075 hours in all; 78 in this make and model
- Last flight review: November 1, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-290 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MKC Kansas City MO
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.