Beech 76 accident near St. Charles, Missouri, January 16, 2020
On January 16, 2020 at about 6:45 pm local time, a 1979 Beech 76, registered N6630D, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR go-around) near St. Charles, Missouri (St Charles County Smartt airport). It was an instructional 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 receiving instruction’s misunderstanding of the flight instructor’s instruction and the pilot's and the instructor’s insufficient use of rudder while adding power to the operating engine, which resulted in the airplane rolling left and the wing striking the ground. Contributing to the accident was the flight instructor's delayed remedial action.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 16, 2020 · about 6:45 pm local time
- Place
- St. Charles, Missouri · St Charles County Smartt · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 76 No Series, built 1979 · all 76s on the register
- Registration
- N6630D · no longer on the register · serial ME-221
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot receiving instruction and flight instructor were performing a zero-thrust, single-engine, full-stop landing when a sink rate developed on final approach. Subsequently, the instructor told the pilot to "add a small amount of power to the right operating engine." The pilot misunderstood the instruction as "abort" and added full power to the right engine to abort the landing. The airplane rolled left, and the instructor added right rudder to arrest the roll. The left wing hit the ground; the airplane rotated left, which resulted in substantial damage to the left wing; and the landing gear collapsed. The instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane 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 (VFR pattern final)
- Loss of control in flight during approach (VFR go-around) defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery during approach (VFR go-around)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
- Landing gear collapse during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Communication (personnel) › Interpretation/understanding › Student/instructed pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Student/instructed pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Lateral/bank control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Student/instructed pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Instructor/check pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Flight control system › Rudder control system › Incorrect use/operation
- factor Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Instructor/check pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 461 hours in all; 2 in this make and model; 13 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 406 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 9, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 15,788 hours in all; 706 in this make and model; 97 in the last 90 days; 41 in the last 30 days; 14,166 on instruments
- Last flight review: February 2, 2019
- Medical certificate: BasicMed (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,478 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, January 6, 2020; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,900 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine 1: Amateur/Experimental Unknown (piston); 7,827 hours total
- Engine 2: Amateur/Experimental Unknown (piston); 7,827 hours total
- Operator: St Charles Flying Service Inc
The flight
- Departed from: SET St. Charles MO at 5:00 pm
- Destination: SET St. Charles MO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 3,800 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.75 inHg
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.
Other NTSB records under N6630D 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.