Piper PA-30 accident near Arkansas City, Kansas, July 13, 1986
On July 13, 1986 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-30, registered N7259Y, was substantially damaged in an accident near Arkansas City, Kansas (Strother airport). It was an instructional 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
- July 13, 1986 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Arkansas City, Kansas · Strother · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-30 · all PA-30s on the register
- Registration
- N7259Y · no longer on the register · serial 30-293
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR STATED THAT HIS INTENTIONS FOR THIS FLIGHT WERE TO SIMULATE AN ENGINE POWER LOSS DURING THE EARLY STAGES OF THE TAKEOFF ROLL AND HAVE THE STUDENT PERFORM A REJECTED TAKEOFF PROCEDURE. ACCORDING TO THE C.F.I., AT APPROXIMATELY 48 KNOTS HE REDUCED POWER ON THE LEFT ENGINE BY CUTTING OFF FUEL FLOW WITH THE MIXTURE CONTROL BUT THE STUDENT'S SLOW REACTION TO ABORT THE TAKEOFF, AND THE GUSTY CROSSWIND CONDITIONS CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO VEER OUT OF CONTROL, BEYOND CORRECTIVE ACTION. POST-ACCIDENT CALCULATIONS REVEAL THAT THE RUNWAY IN USE HAD A HEADWIND COMPONENT OF 17 KNOTS, A CROSSWIND COMPONENT OF 11 KNOTS, AND A DENSITY ALTITUDE OF 3,000 FEET ACTING ON NORMALLY ASPIRATED ENGINES.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,882 hours in all; 1,119 in this make and model; 56 in the last 90 days; 3,718 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,669 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 15, 1986; 25 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-320-B1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: WLD Arkansas City KS at 7:45 pm
- Destination: K50 Derby KS
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 5,510 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 16 knots, gusting 22
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 8,000 ft
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:50 pm from ICT, 35 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.