Piper PA-28-140 accident near Saint Joseph, Missouri, November 20, 2022
On November 20, 2022 at about 5:49 pm local time, a 1973 Piper PA-28-140, registered N267PC, was substantially damaged in an accident during taxi near Saint Joseph, Missouri (Rosecrans Meml 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 lost control of the airplane while on the ground due to temporary incapacitation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 20, 2022 · about 5:49 pm local time
- Place
- Saint Joseph, Missouri · Rosecrans Meml · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-140, built 1973 · all PA-28-140s on the register
- Registration
- N267PC · no longer on the register · serial 28-7325511
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot recalled communicating with air traffic control (ATC) for his taxi clearance and did not recall any events after acknowledging the taxi clearance. An ATC controller issued taxi instructions and observed the airplane taxi to the run-up area. After completing the run-up, the pilot was instructed to contact the ATC tower. After no communications were received from the pilot, the controller attempted to initiate contact but there was no reply. Several attempts to contact the pilot via radio were unsuccessful, and the tower controller noticed the airplane had turned around in the run-up area. Based on the airplane’s repositioning, the controller assumed the pilot was looking for a light signal and issued a green light. When the airplane did not move, the controller made several more attempts to contact the pilot but there was no response. The controller then noticed that the airplane appeared to be taxiing back to the general aviation ramp; however, the airplane accelerated, departed the movement area into the grass, and impacted a perimeter fence. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunction or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and both wings. Based on the witnessed circumstances of the accident, it is likely the accident was the result of the pilot’s temporary incapacitation. Postaccident medical care of the pilot revealed the pilot had an undiagnosed brain tumor. The incapacitation was possible due to a seizure trigged by the tumor, and it was also possible that the brain tumor was an incidental finding unrelated to incapacitation. The cause of the pilot’s incapacitation could not be definitively determined from available medical evidence.
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 taxi
- Medical event during taxi defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Physical › Impairment/incapacitation › Neurological › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 547 hours in all; 469 in this make and model; 72 in the last 90 days; 27 in the last 30 days; 547 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 4, 2022
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E3D (piston); 229 hours total
The flight
- Destination: PCO Perryville MO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 8,061 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 14 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 18°F (-8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.34 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from KSTJ
Weather report (METAR): METAR KSTJ 201653Z AUTO 21014G20KT 10SM CLR 04/M08 A3034 RMK AO2 SLP285 T00391078=
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
6 documents, released by the NTSB on March 28, 2024. 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 | FAA Record of Conversation - Pilot | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | FAA Accident Notification | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Investigation Photographs | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Medical Factual Report | PDF, 6 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Toxicological Report | PDF, 1 page | 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.