Piper PA-30 accident near Columbia, Missouri, June 1, 1989
On June 1, 1989 at about 4:00 am local time, a Piper PA-30, registered N154P, was substantially damaged in an accident near Columbia, Missouri (Cottonwoods airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE GEAR-UP LANDING WHICH WAS MADE BY AN UNKNOWN/UNAUTHORIZED PERSON.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 1, 1989 · about 4:00 am local time
- Place
- Columbia, Missouri · Cottonwoods · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-30 · all PA-30s on the register
- Registration
- N154P · no longer on the register · serial 30-737
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRCRAFT WAS FOUND IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NORTH-SOUTH RUNWAY AT COTTONWOODS AIRPORT. THE AIRPLANE HAD BEEN LANDED WITH THE GEAR UP. THE AIRPLANE OWNER WAS NOT AWARE THE AIRPLANE HAD BEEN TAKEN FROM HIS LOCKED HANGAR OR WHO MAY HAVE BEEN RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DAMAGE. POST ACCIDENT EXAMINATION OF THE LANDING GEAR MOTOR REVEALED IT WAS INOPERATIVE BUT THE MANUAL EXTENSION SYSTEM WAS OPERATIONAL. EVIDENCE REVEALED THE STOLEN AIRPLANE HAD BEEN INTENTIONALLY LANDED WITH THE GEAR UP.
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
- Medical certificate: Unknown
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,635 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 9, 1988; 80 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-320-B1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: K24 Columbia MO
- Flight plan: not recorded
- Runway 18, 2,400 ft by 30 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.