Piper PA-28-180 accident near Fort Scott, Kansas, September 21, 1999
On September 21, 1999 at about 9:40 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-180, registered N8446W, was destroyed in an accident near Fort Scott, Kansas (Fort Scott Municipal Arpt airport). 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 failure of the pilot to maintain control of the aircraft. Factors were the pilot's lack of total experience, his lack of familiarity with the airplane, and the stall/spin encountered.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 21, 1999 · about 9:40 pm local time
- Place
- Fort Scott, Kansas · Fort Scott Municipal Arpt · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-180 · all PA-28-180s on the register
- Registration
- N8446W · no longer on the register · serial 28-2679
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A witness stated that, on initial touchdown the aircraft bounced 10 to 15 feet into the air at which time he heard the engine power increase. The aircraft then turned in a westerly direction at a steep angle-of-attack. The witness said that the aircraft was approximately 200 to 250 feet above the ground when, '... it stalled [and] entered [a] 1/2 turn spin and collided with the ground.' The pilot was the holder of a foreign pilot certificate. He did not hold United States pilot or medical certificates. According to the pilot logbook, he had accumulated 53.5 hours of flight time on July 22, 1999. The logbook indicates that the pilot had 51.1 hours in Cessna 150/152 aircraft and 2.4 hours in Cessna 172 aircraft. There were no logbook entries after the July 22, 1999 entry. Documents found within the aircraft indicate that the pilot purchased the aircraft on September 17, 1999. No preexisting anomalies were detected with respect to the aircraft, engine or systems.
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: foreign licence
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 62 hours in all; 8 in this make and model; 12 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 18 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Unknown (invalid medical for flight)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,503 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 20, 1999; 9 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,175 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A3A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Unknown
- Destination: FSK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 35, 4,400 ft by 72 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 040° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:54 pm from CNU, 35 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.