Piper PA-28-181 accident near Grain Valley, Missouri, September 6, 1984
On September 6, 1984 at about 8:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-181, registered N21489, was substantially damaged in an accident near Grain Valley, Missouri (East Kansas City airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 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
- September 6, 1984 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Grain Valley, Missouri · East Kansas City · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-181 · all PA-28-181s on the register
- Registration
- N21489 · registry record · serial 28-7990050
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE LANDING GSAR COLLAPSED AS A RESULT OF A HARD LANDING IN GUSTY WIND CONDITIONS. ALTHOUGH THE AIRPORT WIND SOCK WAS TATTERED, SUFFICIENT WIND INFORMATION WAS AVAILABLE FROM FSS AND UNICOM TO ALERT THE PILOT TO THE NEED FOR COMPENSATION ON APPROACH. THE NEAREST WX REPORTING STATION, 18 NM SW, REPORTED WINDS FROM 230 DEG AT 15 KTS GUSTING TO 26 KTS. THE FBO OPERATOR AT THE AIRPORT STATED WINDS WERE FROM 200 DEG WITH GUSTS TO 30 KTS.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 714 hours in all; 154 in this make and model; 14 in the last 90 days; 601 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,810 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 4, 1984; 15 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4M (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CID Cedar Rapids IA at 6:20 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 23, 2,265 ft by 25 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 15 knots, gusting 26
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 97°F (36°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:55 pm from GVN, 18 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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 N21489 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.