N8866P

On October 18, 1995, at 1245 central daylight time (cdt), a Piper PA-24-260, N8866P, registered to Boulder Aviators, Inc., of Boulder, Colorado, received substantial damage when the airplane landed short of runway 35 at the Trego Wakeeney Airport, Wakeeney, Kansas. The private pilot and one passenger reported minor injuries. A second passenger reported no injuries. The personal 14 CFR Part 91 flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions. A VFR flight plan was filed. The flight originated from Boulder, Colorado, at 1108 cdt, with the intended destination of Hutchinson, Kansas.

The pilot said he radioed for airport advisories at Trego Wakeeney Airport, for an unplanned en route stop. He did not receive any response from the airport, and used the winds aloft (300 degrees at 7,500 feet) to plan his approach. The pilot entered a left downwind for runway 35 looking for a wind sock. When on downwind, he lowered the landing gear. On base leg, he noticed the wind sock was indicating winds from the opposite direction. The pilot stated, "...upon turning to final carrying approximately 90 mph, I noticed a change in airspeed and dramatic loss of lift, I immediately applied full power to do a go-around. The power application did not control our rate of descent as we struck the ground wings level and under full power... ." The airplane impacted 500 feet south of the runway and 300 feet to the west in an open field.

A witness stated, he was 250 feet south east of runway 17's approach threshold, and noticed that the airplane failed to overfly the airport to determine the wind direction which he reported as 150 degrees at 15 knots with gusts to 20 knots. He stated, "...it was descending and turning left at a high bank angle of 40 degrees where I believe was the left turn from base leg to its final approach... ." The witness than lost sight of the airplane do to his location.