Cessna 172S accident near Chesterfield, Missouri, September 19, 2016
On September 19, 2016 at about 1:06 am local time, a 2009 Cessna 172S, registered N52265, was destroyed in an accident during initial climb near Chesterfield, Missouri (Spirit Of St Louis Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's unstable approach and subsequent loss of airplane control during an attempted go-around.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 19, 2016 · about 1:06 am local time
- Place
- Chesterfield, Missouri · Spirit Of St Louis Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172S, built 2009 · all 172Ss on the register
- Registration
- N52265 · no longer on the register · serial 172S10899
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial pilot was performing a night visual approach for landing. A witness on the ground, who was a flight instructor, stated that the airplane's approach was "very unstable" and "erratic," and that the airplane's nose pitched up and down as the pilot made "large power adjustments." He stated that the airplane then began a go-around, which he also described as "unstable." The airplane subsequently descended and impacted terrain. Examination of the airplane revealed no mechanical anomalies 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
- Miscellaneous/other during approach
- Loss of control in flight during initial climb defining event
- 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 › Pitch control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 657 hours in all; 502 in this make and model; 0 in the last 90 days; 0 in the last 30 days; 479 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: January 22, 2014
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,067.6 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 20, 2016
- Maximum gross weight: 2,558 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Textron Lycoming IO-360-L2A (piston); 2,730 hours total
- Operator: Air Associates Of Missouri
The flight
- Departed from: SUS Chesterfield MO
- Destination: SUS Chesterfield MO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 26R, 5,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.97 inHg
- Observation at 1:17 am from SUS
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
5 documents, released by the NTSB on March 12, 2018. 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 | Email Request to Pilot for NTSB Accident Report Form 6120 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | Witness Statement | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Record of Conversation - FAA Coordinator | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Photo Array | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Maintenance Records | PDF, 15 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.