Beech C23 accident near Cheney, Kansas, July 4, 1986
On July 4, 1986 at about 2:00 pm local time, a Beech C23, registered N66353, was substantially damaged in an accident near Cheney, Kansas. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 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
- July 4, 1986 · about 2:00 pm local time
- Place
- Cheney, Kansas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech C23 · all C23s on the register
- Registration
- N66353 · registry record · serial M-2211
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS BARELY AIRBORNE AS IT REACHED THE END OF THE AIRSTRIP, ON THE TAKEOFF ROLL. AT THIS POINT HE ENCOUNTERED CROSSWIND CONDITIONS AND THE AIRCRAFT MUSH/STALLED AND IMPACTED THE GROUND. POST-ACCIDENT COMPUTATIONS REVEAL THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS 55 LBS OVER MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE TAKEOFF GROSS WEIGHT, BUT STILL WITHIN THE C.G. LIMITS. AS SUCH, THE PILOT ATTEMPTED THE TAKEOFF FROM A 2,600 FT LONG GRASS STRIP WITH A DENSITY ALTITUDE OF 3,000 FT AND A CROSSWIND COMPONENT OF 20 KTS.
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
- Flight time: 2,200 hours in all; 400 in this make and model; 4 in the last 90 days; 1,800 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 400 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,450 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4K (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Cheney KS at 2:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 2,600 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 22 knots
- Visibility: 12 statute miles
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:50 pm from ICT, 20 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.