Lockheed 188A accident near Kansas City, Kansas, January 9, 1985
On January 9, 1985 at about 1:01 pm local time, a Lockheed 188A, registered N357Q, was destroyed in an accident near Kansas City, Kansas (Kansas City Downtown airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 3 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 9, 1985 · about 1:01 pm local time
- Place
- Kansas City, Kansas · Kansas City Downtown · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Lockheed 188A
- Registration
- N357Q · no longer on the register · serial 1044
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING ARRIVAL TO THE KANSAS CITY DOWNTOWN ARPT, THE FLT WAS VECTORED FOR A VOR RWY 3 APCH, THEN WAS CLEARED FOR THE APCH & TO CIRCLE & LAND ON RWY 36. ON FINAL APCH, THE ACFT WAS HI & WAS NOT IN A POSITION TO LAND, SO THE FLT WAS CLEARED TO CIRCLE LEFT FOR ANOTHER APCH TO LAND. THE AIRCREW ACKNOWLEDGED & BEGAN CIRCLING LEFT WHICH TOOK THEM IN THE VICINITY OF THE FAIRFAX ARPT. A SHORT TIME LATER, THE ATC CONTROLLER CAUTIONED THAT THE FLT MIGHT BE LINING UP FOR THE FAIRFAX ARPT. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE CREW INITIATED A MISSED APCH & WERE INSTRUCTED TO TURN TO 360 DEG & CLIMB TO 3000 FT. THE ACFT BEGAN A STEEP CLIMB TO 3100 FT, STALLED & ENTERED A STEEP DESCENT. BEFORE THE DESCENT WAS ARRESTED, THE ACFT IMPACTED IN A PUBLIC WATER TREATMENT PLANT. CVR RECORDINGS INDICATED THAT THE 1ST OFFICER WAS FLYING THE ACFT DURING THEEN ROUTE DESCENT, VOR APCH & CIRCLING APCH, THEN THE CAPTAIN TOOK CONTROL DURING THE MISSED APCH. AN EXAM OF THE WRECK- AGE REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF AN AIRFRAME OR POWERPLANT PROBLEM. ALSO, THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE THAT THE CARGO HAD SHIFTED.
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
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 14,500 hours in all; 5,000 in this make and model; 64 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme
- Maximum gross weight: 118,000 lb
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Allison D-501-D13 (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DTW Detroit MI at 11:15 am
- Destination: MKC Kansas City MO
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 36, 7,001 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: dawn
- Wind: from 080° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,000 ft; not recorded at 1,000 ft
- Temperature: 25°F (-4°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 12:00 pm from MKC, 6 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 3 |
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.