Piper PA-28-140 accident near Kansas City, Missouri, October 3, 1985
On October 3, 1985 at about 8:10 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-140, registered N8047N, was substantially damaged in an accident near Kansas City, Missouri (Unknown 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
- October 3, 1985 · about 8:10 pm local time
- Place
- Kansas City, Missouri · Unknown · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-140 · all PA-28-140s on the register
- Registration
- N8047N · no longer on the register · serial 2825293
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PIPER PA-28-140 WAS DEPARTING THE KANSAS CITY, MO AREA FOR A VFR, NO FLIGHT-PLAN FLIGHT TO WARRENSBURG, MO. WITNESSES STATED THAT THE AIRPLANE APPEARED TO LIFT OFF PREMATURELY AND REMAINED EFFECTIVELY STALLED UNTIL IMPACT TWO MIN LATER IN A DRIVE-IN-THEATER. THE PROPELLER AND WINGS IMPACTED THE SPEAKER POLES. A POST-IMPACT FUEL LEAK STARTED AN ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE.
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: 63 hours in all; 15 in this make and model; 40 in the last 90 days; 37 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,237 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 15, 1985; 29 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2A (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: M006 Kansas City MO at 8:08 pm
- Destination: 9K4 Warrensburg MO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 12,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:15 pm from MCI, 7 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.
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.