Piper PA-38-112 accident near St. Joseph, Missouri, June 14, 2002
On June 14, 2002, a Piper PA-38-112, registered N2532N, was substantially damaged in an accident near St. Joseph, Missouri (Rosencrans Memorial 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 attain proper alignment with the runway.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 14, 2002
- Place
- St. Joseph, Missouri · Rosencrans Memorial · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-38-112 · all PA-38-112s on the register
- Registration
- N2532N · registry record · serial 38-79A0902
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane sustained substantial damage when it contacted terrain when the airplane landed perpendicular to the runway. The witness reported the airplane almost stalled during takeoff, and then banked hard left and went right down when it was in position for a base leg turn. The inspection of the airplane revealed the aircraft contacted the ground near the approach end of the runway 17 on a base leg heading, or perpendicular to the runway. The pilot was unable to explain why he touched down perpendicular to the runway. The pilot reported, "I made a mistake. That accident was my fault. No call for what I did. No call for the landing. Should have been going down [the] runway." He reported that he could not remember many of the details concerning the accident.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,500 hours in all; 20 in this make and model
- Last flight review: November 30, 1982
- Medical certificate: Unknown (expired)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,043 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 2, 2002; 14 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: STJ St. Joseph MO
- Destination: STJ St. Joseph MO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 8,059 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 320° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 29.93 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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.
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.