Piper PA-28-140 accident near Conway Springs, Kansas, July 11, 1982
On July 11, 1982 at about 8:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-140, registered N555KC, was substantially damaged in an accident near Conway Springs, Kansas (Wamsley Pvt airport). It was a personal 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
- July 11, 1982 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Conway Springs, Kansas · Wamsley Pvt · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-140 · all PA-28-140s on the register
- Registration
- N555KC · registry record · serial 28-7525290
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE WIND WAS FROM THE SOUTHWEST AT 3 KTS, BUT 16 MILES AWAY AT WICHITA, KS, IT WAS FROM 310 DEGREES AT 9 KTS. HE SELECTED RUNWAY 17, A SOD, 2140 FT, PRIVATE STRIP. HE SAID THAT DURING THE TAKEOFF ROLL, THE AIRCRAFT BECAME LIGHT ON THE LANDING GEAR, LIFTED OFF MOMENTARILY, THEN SETTLED BACK ON THE RUNWAY. HE REDUCED THE ENGINE POWER TO IDLE AND APPLIED FULL BRAKES TO ABORT THE TAKEOFF, BUT WAS UNABLE TO STOP ON THE RUNWAY. AFTER DEPARTING THE RUNWAY, THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK A WOODEN FENCE AND WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. THE DENSITY ALTITUDE WAS ABOUT 3700 FT.
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: single-engine land
- Flight time: 109 hours in all; 41 in this make and model; 9 in the last 90 days; 76 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,985 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 1,039 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E3D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KS36 Conway Springs KS at 3:00 pm
- Destination: 9K8 Kingman KS
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 2,140 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 185°F (85°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:50 pm from ICT, 16 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.