Remos Aircraft GMBH REMOS GX accident near St. Charles, Missouri, March 22, 2009
On March 22, 2009 at about 9:30 pm local time, a Remos Aircraft GMBH REMOS GX, registered N446RA, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR pattern final) near St. Charles, Missouri (St Charles Airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain a proper glide path and airspeed during a simulated emergency approach. Contributing to the accident was the flight instructor's delayed remedial action.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 22, 2009 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- St. Charles, Missouri · St Charles Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Remos Aircraft GMBH REMOS GX · all REMOS GXs on the register
- Registration
- N446RA · no longer on the register · serial 255
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The purpose of the flight was to administer a flight review for the pilot seated in the left seat of the S-LSA airplane. The flight instructor, who was seated in the right seat, reported that the second landing of the local flight was a simulated engine failure while in the airport traffic pattern. The flight instructor pulled the throttle control to idle when the airplane was approximately abeam the departure end of the takeoff runway to simulate the engine failure. The left-seat pilot turned the airplane toward the approach end of an intersecting runway to set up for the simulated emergency landing. During the approach, the pilot performed a 360-degree turn. When the airplane was about 50 feet above the ground, the flight instructor realized that the airplane was in too steep a bank for the airplane's airspeed and he reached for the throttle control. The left seat pilot had already applied full power to perform a go-around. The flight instructor stated that the power application came too late and that the airplane stalled and subsequently impacted the ground.
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
What happened, in order
- Simulated/training event during maneuvering
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during approach (VFR pattern final) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during approach
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Descent/approach/glide path › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- factor Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Instructor/check pilot
Flight instructor
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 950 hours in all; 10 in this make and model
- Last flight review: June 20, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 140 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 25, 2009
- Maximum gross weight: 1,320 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912ULS (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 3SQ St. Charles MO at 8:00 pm
- Destination: 3SQ St. Charles MO
- Flight plan: not recorded
- Runway 18, 2,145 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN09CA228.