Cessna 180 accident near Olathe, Kansas, December 11, 1986
On December 11, 1986 at about 4:34 pm local time, a Cessna 180, registered N26DL, was substantially damaged in an accident near Olathe, Kansas (Johnson County Industrial 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
- December 11, 1986 · about 4:34 pm local time
- Place
- Olathe, Kansas · Johnson County Industrial · 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
- N26DL · registry record · serial 32544
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING LANDING AIRPLANE BALLOONED DUE TO WIND GUST. AFTER TOUCHDOWN. AIRPLANE VEERED LEFT AND DUIRNG PILOT'S CORRECTION, THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR LEG BROKE OFF. METALLURGICAL EVALUATION REVEALED A PREVIOUS FATIGUE FAILURE IN THE FRACTURE SURFACE.
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; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 18,503 hours in all; 122 in this make and model; 34 in the last 90 days; 18,148 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,503 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 18, 1986
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-470 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OJC Olathe KS at 4:00 pm
- Destination: IXD Olathe KS
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 7,339 ft by 190 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 12 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 36°F (2°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:35 pm from IXD
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.