Piper PA-34-200T accident near Lee'S Summit, Missouri, December 5, 1997
On December 5, 1997, a Piper PA-34-200T, registered N8189P, was destroyed in an accident near Lee'S Summit, Missouri (Lee'S Summit Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's inadequate remedial action concerning the loss of engine power, after inadvertently switching off the magnetos. Factors relating to the accident were: the broken springs for magneto cover guard; excessive drag from the extended landing gear and unfeathered propeller; and failure of the pilot to maintain runway alignment after loss of engine power; all of which subsequenlty led to a failure (or inability) to remain clear of obstructions (trees).
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 5, 1997
- Place
- Lee'S Summit, Missouri · Lee'S Summit Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-34-200T · all PA-34-200Ts on the register
- Registration
- N8189P · no longer on the register · serial 348070188
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported taking off during gusty wind conditions on a dark night. He said that shortly after liftoff, the airplane '...veered sharply to the left... .' The pilot said he applied full right rudder and aileron to maintain a '...somewhat level...' attitude. He said the airplane flew through the tops of trees before it collided with the ground, while he was maneuvering to return to the airport. The investigation revealed that the left engine's propeller was not feathered, and the landing gear was in the DOWN position. No mechanical anomalies were found with the engine or airframe that would have prevented flight. The left engine magneto switches were found in the OFF position. The landing light switches were ON. The magneto switch guard cover's self-erecting springs were broken allowing the guard cover to cover the landing light switches instead of the magneto switches.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,100 hours in all; 500 in this make and model; 59 in the last 90 days; 18 in the last 30 days; 2,100 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,360 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 2, 1997; 174 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,700 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-360-EB (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: K84 MO
- Destination: K84
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 310° at 16 knots, gusting 28
- Visibility: 9 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 3,400 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 32°F (0°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:54 pm from MKC, 30 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.
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.