Cessna 305 accident near Hutchinson, Kansas, July 30, 1991
On July 30, 1991 at about 7:50 pm local time, a Cessna 305, registered N19KL, was substantially damaged in an accident near Hutchinson, Kansas. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FUEL CONSUMPTION CALCULATIONS MISJUDGED BY THE PILOT RESULTING IN FUEL EXHAUSTION. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE COMPENSATION FOR WIND CONDITIONS WERE INADEQUATE AND PRESENCE OF TREES DURING THE EMERGENCY LANDING ATTEMPT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 30, 1991 · about 7:50 pm local time · cases in 1991
- Place
- Hutchinson, Kansas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 305 · all 305s on the register
- Registration
- N19KL · registry record · serial 22787
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PRIVATE PILOT SAID THAT DURING A CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT, THE ENGINE FAILED. DURING THE EMERGENCY LANDING ATTEMPT, THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK TREES THEN THE TERRAIN. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE INJURED AND THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. POST ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE LOSS OF POWER WAS DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION.
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: 450 hours in all; 60 in this make and model; 45 in the last 90 days; 25 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,133 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 6, 1991; 34 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,100 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-11A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OTM Ottumwa IA at 3:00 pm
- Destination: HUT Hutchinson KS
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 7:50 pm from HUT, 5 miles away
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.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N19KL on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Cessna 305 202 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Cessna 72,677 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Continental O-470-11A 12,780 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Ottumwa Regional · departed from
- Hutchinson Regional · bound for
- Accidents and incidents in Kansas 1,147 since 1982 · 149 in the last ten years
- Kansas 5,745 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CHI91LA232.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.