Cessna 310 accident near Olathe, Kansas, December 20, 1983
On December 20, 1983 at about 5:20 pm local time, a Cessna 310, registered N809AA, was substantially damaged in an accident near Olathe, Kansas (Johnson CO Exec airport). It was a positioning 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
- December 20, 1983 · about 5:20 pm local time
- Place
- Olathe, Kansas · Johnson CO Exec · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 310 · all 310s on the register
- Registration
- N809AA · registry record · serial 310L-0071
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT WAS RETURNING TO KANSAS CITY, MO WITH NO CARGO ON BOARD AFTER DELIVERING CANCELLED CHECKS TO TULSA, OK. WHILE EN ROUTE, THE PLT NOTICED A SLIGHT DROP IN OIL PRESSURE. ABOUT 75 MI FROM HIS DESTINATION, HE NOTICED THAT THE OIL GAGE INDICATED BELOW THE GREEN ARC & HE DIVERTED TO THE JOHNSON COUNTY ARPT AT OLATHE,KS. THE PLT STATED THAT DURING THE APCH TO LAND, THE ACFT WAS HIGH & FAST, SO HE EXTENDED THE GEAR & FLAPS. HE INDICATED THE ENG QUIT AS THE ACFT WAS OVER THE APCH END OF THE RWY. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ACFT STALLED & LANDED HARD & THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THERE WAS ONLY 4 QTS OF OIL REMAINING IN THE 12 QT SYS. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF AN OIL LEAK. DURING AN OPERATIONAL CHECK, THE ENG RAN NORMALLY & THE OIL PRESSURE INDICATIONS WERE IN THE NORMAL RANGE. THE PLT STATED THAT DURING THE LANDING, HE WAS A LITTLE APPREHENSIVE ABOUT LANDING ON THE SNOW & ICE COVERED RWY IN THIS SITUATION.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,707 hours in all; 31 in this make and model; 230 in the last 90 days; 1,501 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,744 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, November 18, 1983; 28 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,200 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-470-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TUL Tulsa OK at 3:45 pm
- Destination: MKC Kansas City MO
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 35, 4,099 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 100° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 5,000 ft; not recorded at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:02 pm from OJC
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.
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.