Fairchild PT-19A accident near Cape Girardeau, Missouri, September 13, 2012
On September 13, 2012 at about 4:45 pm local time, a Fairchild PT-19A, registered N19GP, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach near Cape Girardeau, Missouri (Cape Girardeau Regional airport). It was an air-drop flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain sufficient airspeed during a low approach, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 13, 2012 · about 4:45 pm local time
- Place
- Cape Girardeau, Missouri · Cape Girardeau Regional · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Fairchild PT-19A · all PT-19As on the register
- Registration
- N19GP · registry record · serial T421844
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Air-drop flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he was giving a promotional ride in conjunction with an upcoming airport open house. At the time of the accident, he was conducting a flour-bomb drop demonstration. The pilot stated that on the third approach, he became distracted and was not fully paying attention to flying the airplane. The airplane got too low and too slow and stalled; the left wing was substantially damaged. The pilot reported that there were no failures or malfunctions associated with the airplane prior to the accident that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during approach defining event
- Loss of control in flight during approach
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,000 hours in all; 300 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 6,000 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 24, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 2012; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,470 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Ranger L-440C-5 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Pt 19 Group Inc
The flight
- Departed from: CGI Cape Girardeau MO at 4:30 pm
- Destination: CGI Cape Girardeau MO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 10, 6,500 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 010° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 30.28 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from CGI, 1 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.
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 CEN12CA656.