Cessna 172 accident near Grain Valley, Missouri, March 2, 1986
On March 2, 1986 at about 6:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N3979L, 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; 2 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
- March 2, 1986 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Grain Valley, Missouri · East Kansas City · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N3979L · registry record · serial 17254148
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PIC WAS MAKING A ROUNDTRIP FLT TO NUMEROUS AIRPORTS ACROSS KANSAS AND MISSOURI. THE OWNER OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS ABOARD FOR THE TRIP WHICH WAS FOR PLEASURE. THE PIC HAD OBTAINED WEATHER INFO AND WAS APPRISED OF THE WIND CONDITIONS FOR HIS ROUTE OF FLT. UPON LANDING AT GRAIN VALLEY AIRPORT, THE PIC LANDED ON ONE GEAR AND THE ACFT BOUNCED INTO THE AIR. THE ACFT FINALLY SETTLED ON BOTH MAIN GEAR, BUT WHEN THE NOSE GEAR SETTLED THE ACFT VEERED OFF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE EAST WEST RWY. NO LANDING GEAR PBLM WAS NOTED AFTER THE LANDING. THE PIC STATED THAT AFTER THE NOSE GEAR MADE CONTACT WITH THE RWY IT VEERED LEFT AND HE WAS UNABLE TO CORRECT THE PBLM BEFORE DEPARTING THE SIDE OF THE RWY. WIND WAS BLOWING FROM 310 DEGREES MAGNETIC AT 15 KTS WITH RPTS FM THE ACCIDENT AIRPORT OF WIND GUST TO 22 KTS AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.
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: 150 hours in all; 60 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 95 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,920 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 16, 1985; 78 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300 SER (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TOP Topeka KS at 5:15 pm
- Destination: 3GV Grain Valley MO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 3,800 ft by 45 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:45 pm from MKC, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.