Amateur-built VARIEZE accident near Osawatomie, Kansas, August 3, 1986
On August 3, 1986 at about 1:20 pm local time, a amateur-built VARIEZE, registered N6BZ, was destroyed in an accident near Osawatomie, Kansas. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. 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 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 3, 1986 · about 1:20 pm local time
- Place
- Osawatomie, Kansas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built VARIEZE
- Registration
- N6BZ · registry record · serial 1200
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WITNESSES STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT APPEARED TO BE OPERATING NORMALLY AND FLYING AT CRUISE ALTITUDE WHEN, SUDDENLY THE LEFT (PORT) WING SEPARATED FROM THE FUSELAGE. SOUNDS OF ENGINE POWER CEASED IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE IN-FLIGHT BREAKUP AND THE AIRCRAFT PLUMMETED TO THE GROUND UNDER NO APPARENT CONTROL, THE WITNESSES FURTHER STATED. THE MAIN WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED ON A CORNFIELD RESTING IN AN INVERTED POSITION. THE LEFT MAIN WING WAS LOCATED ON AN OPEN FIELD ONE QUARTER MILE AWAY. ON-SCENE INSPECTION OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED THAT NEITHER WING HAD BEEN SECURED TO THE MAIN FUSELAGE WITH ANY KIND OF FASTENING DEVICE. EPOXY AND PAINT ABOUT THE WING ROOT AREA WERE FOUND TO BE THE ONLY MEANS OF KEEPING THE WINGS AND THE FUSELAGE MATED. NO ENGINE MALFUNCTION WAS DISCOVERED. THIS AIRCRAFT HAD LOGGED JUST OVER 14 FLIGHT HOURS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT.
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
- Flight time: 1,506 hours in all; 15 in this make and model; 1,400 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 15 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 26, 1986
- Maximum gross weight: 1,050 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: K81 Osawatomie KS at 1:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:00 am from MKC, 38 miles away
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 MKC86FA166.