Cessna 172R accident near Chesterfield, Missouri, October 9, 2021
On October 9, 2021 at about 5:40 pm local time, a 2001 Cessna 172R, registered N24783, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Chesterfield, Missouri (Spirit Of St Louis airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain control of the airplane while landing in gusting wind conditions, which resulted in a hard, bounced landing and the nose landing gear collapsing. .
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 9, 2021 · about 5:40 pm local time
- Place
- Chesterfield, Missouri · Spirit Of St Louis · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172R, built 2001 · all 172Rs on the register
- Registration
- N24783 · registry record · serial 17281029
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he’d entered the traffic pattern on a left downwind as requested by air traffic control for runway 26R with a reported wind from 210° at 8 knots with gusts to 17 knots. As the airplane crossed of the runway numbers about 30 ft above ground level, the airplane encountered a wind gust. The pilot applied left aileron to counter the wind gust and maintain runway centerline. Shortly thereafter, the wind gust dissipated, and the airplane abruptly dropped to the runway surface. The left main landing gear struck the runway, and the airplane bounced to the right. The airplane’s nose landing gear then impacted the runway and collapsed. The airplane exited the right side of the runway and came to rest upright in the grass. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the lower forward fuselage and engine firewall, and the pilot was not injured. The pilot 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
- Loss of control in flight during landing defining event
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
- Landing gear collapse during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Other weather encounter during landing
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Descent/approach/glide path › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 290 hours in all; 191 in this make and model; 42 in the last 90 days; 1.4 in the last 30 days; 72 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 5, 2021
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,276.9 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, September 10, 2021; 55.6 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,558 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-L2A (piston); 2,756 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FYG Washington MO at 4:53 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 08L/, 5,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 11 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 29.84 inHg
- Observation at 12:54 pm from KSUS
Weather report (METAR): KSUS 091754Z 19011G16KT 10SM CLR 29/17 A2984 RMK AO2 SLP099 T02940172 10300 20161 58012
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on November 18, 2021. 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, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photo Array | 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.