Swearingen SA226TC accident near Kansas City, Missouri, August 20, 1982
On August 20, 1982 at about 7:43 pm local time, a Swearingen SA226TC, registered N237AM, was substantially damaged in an accident near Kansas City, Missouri (Downtown airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 12 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
- August 20, 1982 · about 7:43 pm local time
- Place
- Kansas City, Missouri · Downtown
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 12 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Swearingen SA226TC · all SA226TCs on the register
- Registration
- N237AM · registry record · serial TC332
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING THE APPROACH TO TOPEKA THE CREW WAS UNABLE TO EXTEND THE LEFT GEAR. THE CREW DIVERTED TO KANSAS CITY, AND AFTER MANY UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPTS TO LOWER THE LEFT GEAR ELECTED TO LAND WHEELS-UP. THE LEFT MAIN GEAR WAS JAMMED INTO THE GEARDOORS. THE AFT HINGE BOLT WAS MISSING FROM THE LEFT INBOARD GEAR DOOR, ALLOWING THE GEAR DOOR TO SHIFT JUST ENOUGH TO JAM THE GEAR AS IT STARTED TO EXTEND. 17 DAYS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT THE LOOSE AFT HINGE WAS NOTED DURING PREFLIGHT. COMPANY MAINTENANCE WAS UNABLE TO RETORQUE THE BOLT DUE TO THE NUTPLATE ATTACHMENT RIVETS BEING STRIPPED. THIS ITEM WAS BEING CARRIED AS A DELAYED DISCREPANCY. THESE PARTS CAN ONLY BE LUBRICATED BEFORE INSTALLATION. THE ENTIRE ASSEMBLY IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO INSPECT, REMOVE, LUBRICATE, INSTALL, TORQUE & SAFETY REPLACEMENT OF THE NUTPLATE IS CONSIDERED A MAJOR UNDERTAKING THE MANFACTURER STATED THAT "SHORT CYCLING" THE GEAR AS MANY AS 18 TIMES WOULD EVENTUALLY BREAK OPEN THE GEAR DOORS. THIS EMERGENCY METHOD OF EXTENDING THE GEAR HAD NOT BEEN DISSEMINATED TO ALL OPERATORS.
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 land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 9,273 hours in all; 3,456 in this make and model; 93 in the last 90 days; 2,742 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,840 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 40 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 12,500 lb
- Seats: 22
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Garrett TPE331 (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Air Midwest
The flight
- Departed from: ITC Wichita KS
- Destination: TOE Topeka KS
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 3, 5,052 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 10 |
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 N237AM 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.