Piper PA-28RT-201T accident near Great Bend, Kansas, May 23, 1999
On May 23, 1999 at about 3:05 pm local time, a Piper PA-28RT-201T, registered N8252S, was destroyed in an accident near Great Bend, Kansas. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the chafed through turbocharger oil supply hose, the failure of maintenance personnel to install a clamp on the turbocharger oil supply hose, and the inability of the pilot to maintain aircraft control.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 23, 1999 · about 3:05 pm local time
- Place
- Great Bend, Kansas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28RT-201T PA-28RT-20 · all PA-28RT-201Ts on the register
- Registration
- N8252S · registry record · serial 28R-8031170
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported smoke in the cockpit to air traffic control while in cruise flight. Radar and radio contact was lost. The airplane impacted the terrain in a level open alfalfa field 9.2 statute miles and 108-degrees magnetic from the Great Bend Municipal Airport. A witness reported that, while he was driving, he saw the aircraft 'diving at an angle... .' The witness also stated that he thought that he '...saw smoke coming from the plane...' prior to impact. The control system and airframe structure revealed no anomalies that could be associated with a preexisting condition. The aft fuselage side and bottom exhibited oil streaks in the longitudinal direction. The engine was examined and the connecting rod bearing surfaces exhibited evidence of distress and discoloration of the bearing material. The turbocharger had charred black deposits on the exterior surfaces. The turbocharger oil supply hose was chaffed through in the area adjacent to the propeller governor control cable. No clamps were found on the turbocharger oil supply hose. The turbocharger oil supply hose did not have a fire sleeve jacket. The oil supply and return lines to the oil cooler did have fire sleeve jackets, as did the fuel supply hoses.
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: 2,604 hours in all; 12 in this make and model; 12 in the last 90 days; 2,599 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 20, 1999
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Wings Of Denver Flying Club
The flight
- Departed from: APA Denver CO at 1:00 pm
- Destination: SGF Springfield MO
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 010° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:15 pm from GBD, 9 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.
Other NTSB records under N8252S the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.