Rockwell 500-S accident near Kansas City, Kansas, January 30, 1983
On January 30, 1983 at about 1:00 am local time, a Rockwell 500-S, registered N57222, was substantially damaged in an accident near Kansas City, Kansas (Kansas City Downtown airport). It was a ferry flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was 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
- January 30, 1983 · about 1:00 am local time
- Place
- Kansas City, Kansas · Kansas City Downtown
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Rockwell 500-S
- Registration
- N57222 · no longer on the register · serial 3260
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Ferry flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A GEAR UP, FORCED LANDING WAS MADE ON THE EAST BANK OF THE KANSAS RIVER AFTER BOTH ENGINES QUIT DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION. THE PILOT HAD LANDED AT NEW ORLEANS FOR FUEL AND REQUESTED THE TANKS BE TOPPED OFF. EN ROUTE TO KANSAS CITY,THE PILOT STOPPED AT NEVADA, MO TO USE THE TELEPHONE AND REFUEL. HE WAS UNABLE TO FIND AN AIRPORT ATTENDANT, SO HE TOOKOFF WITHOUT REFUELING. THE PILOT INDICATED THAT HE SHOULD HAVE HAD ENOUGH FUEL TO REACH KANSAS CITY. AS HE APPROACHED KANSAS CITY, BOTH ENGINES QUIT. A POST ACCIDENT EXAMINATION SHOWED ONLY ONE HALF GALLON IN THE FUEL SYSTEM. WITH THE BATTERY SWITCH ON, THE FUEL GAUGE INDICATED EMPTY.
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: 2,093 hours in all; 102 in this make and model; 221 in the last 90 days; 1,973 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,909 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 10,000 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-E1B5 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Dodson Aviation, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: NUD Nevada MO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 7,000 ft by 135 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 300° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,200 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 43°F (6°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 28.00 inHg
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.
Other NTSB records under N57222 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.