Aero Commander 680FL and Boeing 727-225A accident near Kansas City, Missouri, December 16, 1987
On December 16, 1987 at about 3:11 am local time, 2 aircraft, Aero Commander 680FL (N6509V) and Boeing 727-225A (N8866E), were involved in the same accident near Kansas City, Missouri (Kansas City International airport). No one was hurt; 90 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 16, 1987 · about 3:11 am local time
- Place
- Kansas City, Missouri · Kansas City International · map
- Type
- Accident · collision on the ground
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 90 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft 1
- Aero Commander 680FL · all 680FLs on the register
- Registration
- N6509V · no longer on the register · serial 1640-121
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
- Aircraft 2
- Boeing 727-225A · all 727-225As on the register
- Registration
- N8866E · no longer on the register · serial 20628QA641
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative for the Aero Commander 680FL final · quoted from the NTSB record
AT 2108:57 EA FLT 275(EA275) A BOEING 727, WAS CLEARED TO TAKEOFF ON RUNWAY 19 AND AT 2110:24 N6509V, AN AERO COMMANDER,WAS CLEARED TO TAXI INTO POSITION AND HOLD. N6509V ENTERED RUNWAY 19 NEAR MID-FIELD AT TAXIWAY A-3 WITHOUT ADVISING THE TOWER OF HIS INTENT TO DEPART FROM AN INTERSECTION. THE CAPTAIN OF EA275 SAW N6509V ENTERING THE RUNWAY; HOWEVER HE STATED THERE WAS INSUFFICIENT TIME TO ABORT THE TAKEOFF. HE VEERED SLIGHTLY TO THE RIGHT AND BEGAN AN EARLY ROTATION IN AN EFFORT TO MISS N6509V. EA275'S LEFT WING TIP STRUCK THE RIGHT WING OF N6509V CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO N6509V ANDMINOR DAMAGE TO EA275. THE CREW OF EA275 WAS UNAWARE OF THE COLLISION AND CONTINUED TO SEATTLE WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT.NIGHT VMC EXISTED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. CONSIDERABLE SNOW REMOVAL ACTIVITY WAS IN PROGRESS ON TAXIWAYS BETWEEN TAXIWAY A-3 AND THE NORTH END OF RUNWAY 19. THE LOCAL CONTROLLER DID NOT VERIFY THE POSITION OF N6509V BEFORE CLEARING THE AIRPLANE ONTO THE RUNWAY AND THE GROUND CONTROLLER DID NOT MONITOR THE TAXI ROUTE OF N6509V. TRAFFIC WAS LIGHT.
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 NTSB's narrative for the Boeing 727-225A final · quoted from the NTSB record
AT 2108:57 EA FLT 275(EA275) A BOEING 727, WAS CLEARED TO TAKEOFF ON RUNWAY 19 AND AT 2110:24 N6509V, AN AERO COMMANDER,WAS CLEARED TO TAXI INTO POSITION AND HOLD. N6509V ENTERED RUNWAY 19 NEAR MID-FIELD AT TAXIWAY A-3 WITHOUT ADVISING THE TOWER OF HIS INTENT TO DEPART FROM AN INTERSECTION. THE CAPTAIN OF EA275 SAW N6509V ENTERING THE RUNWAY; HOWEVER, HE STATED THERE WAS INSUFFICIENT TIME TO ABORT THE TAKEOFF. HE VEERED SLIGHTLY TO THE RIGHT AND BEGAN AN EARLY ROTATION IN AN EFFORT TO MISS N6509V. EA275'S LEFT WING TIP STRUCK THE RIGHT WING OF N6509V CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO N6509V ANDMINOR DAMAGE TO EA275. THE CREW OF EA275 WAS UNAWARE OF THE COLLISION AND CONTINUED TO SEATTLE WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT.NIGHT VMC EXISTED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. CONSIDERABLE SNOW REMOVAL ACTIVITY WAS IN PROGRESS ON TAXIWAYS BETWEEN TAXIWAY A-3 AND THE NORTH END OF RUNWAY 19. THE LOCAL CONTROLLER DID NOT VERIFY THE POSITION OF N6509V BEFORE CLEARING THE AIRPLANE ONTO THE RUNWAY AND THE GROUND CONTROLLER DID NOT MONITOR THE TAXI ROUTE OF N6509V. TRAFFIC WAS LIGHT.
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 for the Aero Commander 680FL from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,937 hours in all; 13 in this make and model; 216 in the last 90 days; 6,770 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,289 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, November 20, 1987; 13 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 8,500 lb
- Seats: 11
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IGSO-540-B1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MCI
- Destination: MKC
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 19, 10,800 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 250° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 6,500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 25°F (-4°C), dew point 16°F (-9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:50 pm from MCI, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
The factual record for the Boeing 727-225A from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 8,597 hours in all; 1,946 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 44,346 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, August 6, 1987
- Maximum gross weight: 142,000 lb
- Seats: 158
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT8D-15A (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MCI
- Destination: SEA Seattle WA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 19, 10,800 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 7 | |||
| Passengers | 82 |
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.