Cessna 421B accident near Olathe, Kansas, September 13, 1985
On September 13, 1985 at about 1:35 pm local time, a Cessna 421B, registered N88DM, was substantially damaged in an accident near Olathe, Kansas (Johnson City Exec airport). It was an executive or corporate flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was 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 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 13, 1985 · about 1:35 pm local time
- Place
- Olathe, Kansas · Johnson City Exec · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 421B · all 421Bs on the register
- Registration
- N88DM · registry record · serial 421B0574
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Executive or corporate flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING THE TAKEOFF ROLL ON AN IFR FLT, THE RIGHT ENG LOST PWR AND THE PLT ABORTED THE TAKEOFF. THE ACFT RAN OFF THE END OF THE RWY, ACROSS TWO DITCHES, ONE ROAD, THROUGH A FENCE AND STRUCK A POST IN A FLD. DURING POST ACCIDENT TESTS, THE RIGHT ENG WOULD RUN ONLY WHEN IT WAS PRIMED WITH FUEL. THE EXACT PART OF THE FUEL SYSTEM THAT MALFUNCTIONED COULD NOT BE DETERMINED.
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, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,783 hours in all; 213 in this make and model; 93 in the last 90 days; 3,893 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,457 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 1985
- Maximum gross weight: 7,500 lb
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental GTSIO-520-H (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: BUM Butler MO
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 35, 4,099 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 080° at 17 knots
- Visibility: 2 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 600 ft; not recorded at 600 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number MKC85LA215.