Swearingen SA-26AT accident near Cahokia, Illinois, February 16, 2003
On February 16, 2003 at about 11:23 pm local time, a Swearingen SA-26AT, registered N30TF, was substantially damaged in an accident near Cahokia, Illinois (St. Louis Downtown 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 instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot failed to maintain directional control of the airplane during landing. Factors associated with the accident were the snow covered runway, the crosswind, and the overload failure of the nose gear.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 16, 2003 · about 11:23 pm local time
- Place
- Cahokia, Illinois · St. Louis Downtown Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Swearingen SA-26AT · all SA-26ATs on the register
- Registration
- N30TF · registry record · serial T-26-162
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The nose gear separated from the airplane following a loss of directional control while landing. The pilot reported the automatic terminal information service (ATIS) was reporting the wind as being from 010 degrees at 14 knots, gusting to 21 knots. He reported that prior to landing, he was informed by the tower that the braking action was fair. The pilot reported that during the landing roll, at a speed of about 30 miles per hour, the airplane began drifting to the left. He stated that he attempted to correct the drift using nose wheel steering, right rudder, and right brake, to no avail. He reported the thick ice and snow on the left side of the runway pulled the airplane further to the left. The airplane departed the left side of the runway where it came to rest on its nose. The nose gear had separated from the airplane and according to the pilot, it was located approximately 20 feet behind the airplane. Friction testing on runway 30L performed approximately 46 minutes prior to the accident produced readings of 34%g, 36%g, and 33%g, on various sections of the runway. These readings equate to a medium braking action.
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: 12,000 hours in all; 400 in this make and model; 100 in the last 90 days; 25 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: August 13, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,700 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, February 7, 2003; 7 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 10,000 lb
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Garrett 331-1 (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: EYE Indianapolis IN at 10:00 pm
- Destination: CPS Cahokia IL
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 30L, 6,997 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 010° at 14 knots
- Visibility: 0.8 statute miles
- Sky: vv at 600 ft
- Temperature: 21°F (-6°C), dew point 18°F (-8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.17 inHg
- Observation at 9:20 pm from CPS
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.