Piper PA 28-140 accident near St. Louis, Missouri, July 18, 2014
On July 18, 2014 at about 11:25 pm local time, a 1967 Piper PA 28-140, registered N9789W, was substantially damaged in an accident during standing (engine(s) start-up) near St. Louis, Missouri (Creve Couer airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's decision to operate an airplane with a known deficiency and to not properly secure the airplane before hand-starting the engine.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 18, 2014 · about 11:25 pm local time
- Place
- St. Louis, Missouri · Creve Couer · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA 28-140 140, built 1967 · all PA 28-140s on the register
- Registration
- N9789W · no longer on the register · serial 28-23281
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane's engine starter was inoperative so the pilot decided to hand-start the engine with the propeller to get it started. He had his wife, who was not a pilot, sit in the airplane and hold the toe-brakes with her feet. The parking brake was not set. When the engine started, the airplane began to roll forward, and the pilot's wife was unable to stop it from moving. The wife stated she was scared of the propeller striking her husband so she turned the airplane away from him. The airplane traveled off the pavement, through a ditch, across a soybean field, and collided with a parked airplane resulting in substantial damage to the left wing. The parked airplane was also damaged. The pilot said the starter was the only mechanical problem with the airplane prior to the accident. He said it was a poor decision to hand-start the engine with an inoperative starter and he should have secured the airplane until it could be inspected by a mechanic.
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
- Loss of control on ground during standing (engine(s) start-up) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft handling/service › Parking/securing › Tie › down/mooring › Incorrect use/operation
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Aircraft › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 141 hours in all; 100 in this make and model; 7 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 118 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: none
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming 0-320 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 1H0 St. Louis MO
- Destination: 1H0 St. Louis MO
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on August 21, 2014. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 7 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Record of Conversation - Peter L'esperance | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Email from Heidi L'esperance | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.