Amateur-built EAA BI-PLANE accident near Winfield, Kansas, May 18, 1986
On May 18, 1986 at about 11:00 pm local time, a amateur-built EAA BI-PLANE, registered N1770B, was substantially damaged in an accident near Winfield, Kansas (Strother Field). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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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
- May 18, 1986 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Winfield, Kansas · Strother Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built EAA BI-PLANE EAA BI-PLA
- Registration
- N1770B · registry record · serial 150-739
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT STATED HE WAS LANDING HIS TAILDRAGGER TO THE NORTH WITH WINDS FROM THE NORTH AT 12 TO 15 KNOTS. HE SAID HE WAS MAKING A THREE POINT LANDING AND JUST BEFORE TOUCHDOWN, THE AIRPLANE CHANGED DIRECTIONS AND AFTER TOUCHDOWN, IT WENT OFF THE SIDE OF THE RUNWAY INTO THE GRASS AND SOFT MUD. IT THEN FLIPPED FORWARD TO THE INVERTED POSITION. WINDS AT WICHITA, KS, 34 NM TO THE NORTHWEST WERE FROM 050 DEGREES AT 12 KNOTS.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 919 hours in all; 40 in this make and model; 26 in the last 90 days; 804 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 130 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 15, 1986; 30 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,350 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PNC Ponca City OK at 10:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 35, 5,500 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,600 ft
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:50 pm from ICT, 34 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 MKC86LA110.