Cessna 177B accident near Kansas City, Missouri, December 7, 1992
On December 7, 1992 at about 12:12 pm local time, a Cessna 177B, registered N11889, was destroyed in an accident near Kansas City, Missouri (Kansas City International airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN A POSITIVE RATE OF CLIMB DURING A MISSED APPROACH. FACTORS WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: INOPERATIVE GYRO INSTRUMENTS DUE TO A BROKEN VACUUM PUMP, THE DARK NIGHT, ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS, AND RISING TERRAIN.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 7, 1992 · about 12:12 pm local time
- Place
- Kansas City, Missouri · Kansas City International · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 177B · all 177Bs on the register
- Registration
- N11889 · no longer on the register · serial 17702379
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
EN ROUTE TO HIS DESTINATION, DURING LEVEL FLIGHT AT 9,000 FT, THE PILOT ADVISED ATC THAT HIS GYRO WAS INOPERATIVE. WHEN ASKED IF HE WOULD NEED ANY SPECIAL ASSISTANCE AT HIS DESTINATION, HE DECLINED. DURING THE ILS APPROACH HE WAS ISSUED A NEW VISIBILITY OF 1/4 MILE. HE SUBSEQUENTLY EXECUTED A MISSED APPROACH, AND WAS INSTRUCTED TO CLIMB AND MAINTAIN 2,500 FT FOR NO-GYRO VECTORS. THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED RISING TERRAIN 1/4 MILE FROM THE DEPARTURE END OF THE ILS RUNWAY. EXAM OF THE VACUUM PUMP REVEALED THAT THE ROTOR WAS BROKEN; ONE VANE WAS BROKEN, AND TWO PIECES WERE WEDGED IN ONE VANE SLOT. THE ROTOR ASSEMBLY WOULD NOT ROTATE. THE PILOT'S TOXICOLOGICAL RESULTS SHOWED 33.500 UG/ML OF ACETAMINOPHEN IN THE URINE, ALONG WITH DIPHENHYDRAMINE. THIS COMBINATION IS FOUND IN COMMON NON-PRESCRIPTION DRUGS SUCH AS 'BUFFRIN AF NITE TIME' AND 'EXCEDRIN P.M.'
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 17,500 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,084 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 12, 1992; 79 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,500 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1F6D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: RPB Belleville KS at 11:00 am
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 19R, 10,801 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 300° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 1 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 200 ft
- Temperature: 27°F (-3°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:50 am from MCI, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 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.