Cessna 150 accident near Fort Scott, Kansas, October 5, 1986
On October 5, 1986 at about 2:35 pm local time, a Cessna 150, registered N22943, was destroyed in an accident near Fort Scott, Kansas. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. 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
- October 5, 1986 · about 2:35 pm local time
- Place
- Fort Scott, Kansas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150 · all 150s on the register
- Registration
- N22943 · no longer on the register · serial 15068635
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PURPOSE OF THE FLT WAS TO OBSERVE AND PHOTOGRAPH THE EFFECTS OF A FLOOD WHICH HAD INUNDATED A PART OF THE CITY OF FORT SCOTT. THE ACFT WAS OBSERVED FLYING LOW AND SLOW OVER THE CITY. WITNESSES SAID THE ACFT WAS FLYING FROM WEST TO EAST AND MADE A TURN BACK TO THE WEST. IT THEN ENTERED A SPIN AT TOO LOW AN ALTITUDE TO RECOVER. THE ACFT IMPACTED IN A WATER FILLED DITCH AND DID NOT MOVE AFTER IMPACT. ACCORDING TO HIS LOG BOOK THE PLT HAD FLOWN 3.9 HRS IN 1984, 7.3 HRS IN 1985, AND 2.6 HRS IN 1986. THERE WAS NO FLYING TIME RECORDED FOR THE PAST 90 DAYS.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 136 hours in all; 19 in this make and model; 80 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,309 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 10, 1985; 112 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Fort Scott Aircraft, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: FSK at 2:15 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 12,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:55 pm from CNU, 39 miles away
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.
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.