Cessna 650 incident near Chesterfield, Missouri, August 9, 2003
On August 9, 2003 at about 5:14 pm local time, a Cessna 650, registered N122EJ, was involved in an incident near Chesterfield, Missouri (Spirit Of St. Louis airport). It was a positioning 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
A partial failure of the rudder control lock fairlead which jammed the rudder cable during takeoff.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 9, 2003 · about 5:14 pm local time
- Place
- Chesterfield, Missouri · Spirit Of St. Louis · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 650 · all 650s on the register
- Registration
- N122EJ · no longer on the register · serial 650-0122
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The Citation's rudder jammed in the centered position just after liftoff. The flight crew reported they did not have any trouble controlling the airplane in flight. The crew stayed near the departure airport as they checked all the systems and attempted to free the rudder. Unable to free the rudder, they declared an emergency and returned to their departure airport where an uneventful landing was made. The rudder freed itself as the airplane touched down. Inspection of the airplane after the incident revealed that a rudder control locking system fairlead came out of its receptacle. One half of the fairlead was located and the other half was not. The located half was separated into 3 pieces.
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: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 18,775 hours in all; 1,360 in this make and model; 47 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 16,700 as pilot in command; 5,775 on instruments
- Last flight review: August 17, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: balloon
- Flight time: 12,600 hours in all; 810 in this make and model; 12,000 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 1, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,953 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, August 4, 2003; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 22,000 lb
- Seats: 11
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Garrett TFE 731-3C AR (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SUS Chesterfield MO at 5:14 pm
- Destination: IRK Kirksville MO
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 08L, 8,001 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 030° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.05 inHg
- Observation at 4:54 pm from SUS
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
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.