Piper PA-28-150C accident near Junction City, Kansas, August 27, 1986
On August 27, 1986 at about 11:45 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-150C, registered N5969W, was substantially damaged in an accident near Junction City, Kansas (Junction City Municipal 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
- August 27, 1986 · about 11:45 pm local time
- Place
- Junction City, Kansas · Junction City Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-150C · all PA-28-150Cs on the register
- Registration
- N5969W · no longer on the register · serial 28-3957
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE C.F.I. STATED THAT THIS FLIGHT WAS TO BE AN AIRCRAFT CHECKOUT OF ANOTHER INSTRUCTOR. AFTER SOME AIR WORK THEY PROCEEDED TO A NEARBY AIRPORT TO PRACTICE TAKEOFFS AND LANDINGS. WHILE ON FINAL APPROACH FOR A PRACTICE SHORT FIELD LANDING THE AIRCRAFT USH-STALLED AND LANDED HARD, SHORT OF THE RUNWAY, SHEARING OFF THE NOSE WHEEL AND NOSING OVER.
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: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 990 hours in all; 2 in this make and model; 84 in the last 90 days; 46 in the last 30 days; 701 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-A2B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MHK Manhattan KS at 11:23 pm
- Destination: 3JC Junction City KS
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 3,500 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 040° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:55 pm from FRI, 4 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.
Other NTSB records under N5969W 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.