Swearingen SA226TC incident near Joplin, Missouri, June 27, 1984
On June 27, 1984 at about 12:32 pm local time, a Swearingen SA226TC, registered N233AM, suffered minor damage in an incident near Joplin, Missouri (Joplin Muni airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 15 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 incident. 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
- June 27, 1984 · about 12:32 pm local time
- Place
- Joplin, Missouri · Joplin Muni · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 15 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Swearingen SA226TC · all SA226TCs on the register
- Registration
- N233AM · registry record · serial TC-319
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE TAXIING TO TAKEOFF & ON THE TAKEOFF ROLL, THE LEFT BRAKE OVERHEATED. TEN TO FIFTEEN MINS AFTER DEPARTURE BOTH TIRES ON THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR EXPLODED. THE BEARINGS AND BRAKES ALSO SEIZED DUE TO THE HIGH TEMPERATURES. UPON ARRIVAL AT THE DEST, THE NORMAL GEAR EXTENSION SYSTEM WAS INOPERATIVE AND THE EMERGENCY EXTENSION SYSTEM WAS UTILIZED. NO FURTHER DAMAGE WAS INCURRED DURING THE LANDING.INVESTIGATORS DISCOVERED A STICKING VALVE IN THE LEFT PARKING BRAKE. MAINTENANCE RECORDS REVEALED THAT ON JUNE 19 AND 22, DIFFICULTY WAS REPORTED IN RELEASING THE PARKING BRAKES; MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE DISCREPANCY AND RETURNED THE ACFT TO SERVICE.
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: 4,000 hours in all; 3,000 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,829 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, June 22, 1984; 35 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 12,500 lb
- Seats: 19
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Airesearch TPE 331-3UW (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Air Midwest (Amwa)
The flight
- Departed from: TUL Tulsa OK at 12:05 pm
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 31, 6,503 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 070° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 10,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 12:50 pm from JLN
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 13 |
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.