Cessna 180 accident near Olathe, Kansas, June 22, 1986
On June 22, 1986 at about 1:00 am local time, a Cessna 180, registered N3166D, was substantially damaged in an accident near Olathe, Kansas (Johnson County Executive 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
- June 22, 1986 · about 1:00 am local time
- Place
- Olathe, Kansas · Johnson County Executive · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180 · all 180s on the register
- Registration
- N3166D · no longer on the register · serial 31964
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A WITNESS STATED THAT THE HE OBSERVED THE ACFT IN A NORMAL APPROACH FOR LANDING BUT THAT IT APPEARED SLOW. THE WITNESS OBSERVED THE LEFT WING DROP JUST BEFORE THE ACFT WAS TO TOUCHDOWN TO THE RWY. TIRE SCUFF MARKS WERE SEEN BY THE WITNESS ON THE RWY NEAR WHERE THE ACFT HAD FLIPPED INVERTED. THE PIC STATED HE MAY HAVE INADVERTANTLY APPLIED ONLY ONE BRAKE AT TOUCHDOWN AND LOST DIRECTIONAL CONTROL. THE ACFT WAS OBSERVED VEERING TO THE RIGHT ON THE RWY ROLLING NO MORE THAN 150 TO 200 FEET BEFORE FLIPPING INVERTED. THE PIC STATED THAT THERE WAS NO MECHANICAL PBLM AND WX WAS NOT A FACTOR.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,011 hours in all; 97 in this make and model; 106 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,998 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 31, 1986; 26 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-J (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OJC Olathe KS
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 4,099 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; scat at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:30 am from OJC
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.
Other NTSB records under N3166D the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.