Cessna 172 I accident near Paola, Kansas, April 9, 1983
On April 9, 1983 at about 4:14 am local time, a Cessna 172 I, registered N35722, was substantially damaged in an accident near Paola, Kansas. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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
- April 9, 1983 · about 4:14 am local time
- Place
- Paola, Kansas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 I · all 172 Is on the register
- Registration
- N35722 · no longer on the register · serial 17256935
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACRT CRASHED IN A PASTURE AFTER FUEL EXHAUSTION DURING AN APPROACH TO JOHNSON COUNTY INDUSTRIAL ARPT. THE ACFT HAD MADE A MISSED APPROACH AT HIS DESTINATION OF NEVADA MO. ENROUTE TO A SUGGESTED ALTERATE OF BUTLER ARPT. THE WEATHER BECAME WORSE AND JOHNSON COUNTY BECAME THE VIABLE ALTERNATE. DURING THE APPROACH THE ACRT RAN OUT OF FUEL. AFTERTHE ACRT DESCENDED OUT OF THE CLOUDS IT IMPACTED RIGHT WING AND NOSE LOW IN A PASTURE. IT THEN SPUN AROUND AND SLID BACKWARDS INTO A FENCE. THE PILOT HAD RECEIVED A WEATHER BRIEFING THAT REPORTED CEILINGS AND VISIBILITIES AT OR BELOW INSTRUMENT APPROACH MINIMUMS IN THE VICINITY OF HIS DESTINATION AND FORECASTED AND REPORTED AIRFRAME ICING ALONG HIS FLTROUTE. THE PILOT FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN. AFTER THE ACCIDENT HE STATED THAT HIS PASSENGER WAS EAGER TO GET TO NEVADA FOR AN APPOINTMENT ON 4/9/83. USING THE FUEL CONSUMPTION CALCULATED FROM THE LAST FLT THE ACFTS FUEL RANGE WAS ABOUT 4 HOURSTHE FUEL WAS EXHAUSTED AFTER 4 HOURS AND 15 MINUTES ON THE ACCIDENT FLT.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,726 hours in all; 628 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 2,526 as pilot in command; 11 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,760 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 2, 1982; 60 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GBD Great Bend KS at 11:56 pm
- Destination: NVD Nevada MO
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 35, 7,339 ft by 200 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 350° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 2 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 32°F (0°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:45 am from IXD, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
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.