Piper PA-31T1 accident near St. Louis, Missouri, June 25, 2009
On June 25, 2009 at about 5:45 pm local time, a Piper PA-31T1, registered N701PT, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near St. Louis, Missouri (Creve Coeur Airport). It was a positioning 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 pilot’s failure to establish and maintain a stabilized final approach which resulted in a hard landing and runway overrun.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 25, 2009 · about 5:45 pm local time
- Place
- St. Louis, Missouri · Creve Coeur Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-31T1 · all PA-31T1s on the register
- Registration
- N701PT · registry record · serial 31T-8004008
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that his final approach was high and fast, and that the airplane touched down with excessive speed about halfway down the runway. Witness accounts also indicated that the airplane initially touched down about halfway down the runway at a higher than normal landing speed. One witness noted that the airplane bounced after the initial touchdown, during which the landing gear collapsed aft. The airplane then touched down a second time with about 250 feet of runway remaining. The airplane then proceeded to overrun the departure end of the runway, go down an embankment and into a cornfield. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage primary structure. A post-accident inspection of the airplane confirmed that the landing gear was fully extended, but displaced aft due to impact forces. Flight control continuity was established from the individual flight control surfaces to their respective cockpit controls. Mechanical continuity was also confirmed from the cockpit power levers and propeller controls to their respective components. No pre-impact anomalies were identified that would have precluded the normal operation of the airplane. The airplane’s pilot operating handbook indicated that the required landing distance on a level hard-surfaced runway, without a headwind and without propeller reversing capability, was about 1,400 feet. The required landing distance with propeller reversing capability was about 825 feet.
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
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Landing gear collapse during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
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
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › (general) › Capability exceeded
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,190 hours in all; 2,807 in this make and model; 16 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: May 14, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,429 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, July 25, 2008
- Maximum gross weight: 8,700 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Pratt Whitney Canada PT6A-135A (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Pratt Whitney Canada PT6A-135A (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Natoli Engineering Company, Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: KSUS St. Loius MO at 5:30 pm
- Destination: 1H0 St. Louis MO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 16, 4,500 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 9 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 3,600 ft
- Temperature: 93°F (34°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 29.89 inHg
- Observation at 5:51 pm from KSTL, 7 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
Other NTSB records under N701PT the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.