Piper PA-31P accident near Salina, Kansas, May 21, 1982
On May 21, 1982 at about 1:12 pm local time, a Piper PA-31P, registered N40NC, was substantially damaged in an accident near Salina, Kansas (Salina Muni airport). It was an executive or corporate flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. 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
- May 21, 1982 · about 1:12 pm local time
- Place
- Salina, Kansas · Salina Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-31P · all PA-31Ps on the register
- Registration
- N40NC · registry record · serial 31P-49
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Executive or corporate flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, THE LEFT ENGINE BEGAN RUNNING ROUGH AT ABOUT 300 FT AGL AFTER TAKEOFF AND THE ROUGHNESS WAS ACCOMPANIED BY A SLIGHT LEFT YAW. THE PILOT SAID THE LEFT ENGINE WAS PRODUCING SOME POWER SO HE ELECTED NOT TO FEATHER THE PROPELLER. THE AIRCRAFT WOULD NOT MAINTAIN ALTITUDE; THEREFORE, THE PILOT ELECTED TO MAKE A GEAR-UP LANDING IN A WHEAT FIELD. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE PLANE HAD BEEN INVOLVED IN A PREVIOUS GEAR-UP LANDING AND HAD ACCUMULATED 420 HOURS SINCE THEN. AN EXAMINATION OF THE LEFT ENGINE REVEALED THAT THE PROPELLER WOULD ROTATE FREELY WITHOUT ROTATION OF THE CRANKSHAFT. EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT THE SPLINE BUSHING, PN 75462, TURNED FREELY IN THE FRONT OF THE CRANKSHAFT, AND THE THREE DOWELS, PN 75359, WERE NOT IN PLACE. THE BUSHING, WHICH IS PRESSED INTO THE CRANKSHAFT DURING ASSEMBLY, WAS LOOSE ENOUGH TO PERMIT REMOVAL BY HAND. THE DOWELS WERE FOUND IN THE ENGINE OIL SUMP AND WERE BENT AND DEFORMED.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 7,192 hours in all; 28 in this make and model; 62 in the last 90 days; 6,541 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,929 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 24 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 7,800 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TIGO-541-E1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Salina KS at 8:09 am
- Destination: Dallas TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 13,330 ft by 300 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; scat at 8,000 ft
- Temperature: 133°F (56°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:50 am from SLN, 8 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.