Piper PA-28-140 accident near Osage City, Kansas, May 18, 1992
On May 18, 1992 at about 10:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-140, registered N15619, was substantially damaged in an accident near Osage City, Kansas (Osage City Airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was 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. FACTORS IN THE ACCIDENT WERE THE ROUGH/UNEVEN RUNWAY SURFACE AND THE INADEQUATE MAINTENANCE OF THE RUNWAY SURFACE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 18, 1992 · about 10:30 pm local time
- Place
- Osage City, Kansas · Osage City Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-140 · all PA-28-140s on the register
- Registration
- N15619 · registry record · serial 28-7325117
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRPLANE WAS LANDING WITH CALM TO VERY LIGHT WIND CONDITIONS WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN ON ITS MAIN LANDING GEAR ACCORDING TO THE PILOT. THE PILOT STATED THAT UPON TOUCHDOWN THE AIRPLANE BEGAN '...HOPPING LIGHTLY... .' SHORTLY AFTER THE LIGHT 'HOPPING' THE AIRPLANE VEERED SHARPLY TO THE LEFT AND COLLIDED WITH TWO DITCHES AND A ROAD WHICH WERE LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 30 FEET FROM THE RUNWAY EDGE. THE AIRPORT MANAGER REPORTED THAT THE 40 FOOT WIDE RUNWAY HAS 1/2 TO 1 INCH DEPRESSIONS ON ITS SURFACE. HE ALSO STATED THAT ANOTHER AIRPLANE HAD THE SAME TYPE ACCIDENT ABOUT TWO MONTHS EARLIER. THE MANAGER STATED THAT SHALLOW, WAVY, RUTS RUN THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF 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
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 74 hours in all; 74 in this make and model; 8 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 20 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 21, 1992; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 5C8 Burlington KS at 10:10 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 2,580 ft by 40 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:50 pm from EMP, 50 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 CHI92LA153.