Piper PA-28-161 accident near Jefferson City, Missouri, July 3, 2006
On July 3, 2006 at about 7:21 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-161, registered N43060, was substantially damaged in an accident near Jefferson City, Missouri (Jefferson City Memorial Arpt. airport). It was an instructional 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
The dual student's excessive landing flare and his failure to maintain adequate airspeed, which resulted in the airplane stalling. A factor to the accident was the flight instructor's delayed remedial action and the runway edge light that the airplane struck.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 3, 2006 · about 7:21 pm local time
- Place
- Jefferson City, Missouri · Jefferson City Memorial Arpt. · map
- Type
- Accident · collision on the ground
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-161 · all PA-28-161s on the register
- Registration
- N43060 · registry record · serial 28-8316074
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane impacted a 24-inch high runway edge light during landing. The flight instructor reported that during the landing flare the student "over flared, causing the airplane to stall" and that the airplane drifted to the right side of the runway. The flight instructor stated that he then assumed aircraft control and "applied full throttle and leveled the wings," but the airplane "settled for a moment before gaining speed and altitude." The flight instructor reported that he "felt and heard" the airplane impact the runway light while he was regaining aircraft control. The flight instructor stated that he flew the airplane back to the runway centerline and landed without further incident.
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
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,754 hours in all; 707 in this make and model; 211 in the last 90 days; 97 in the last 30 days; 1,626 as pilot in command; 925 on instruments
- Last flight review: June 1, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 11 hours in all; 11 in this make and model; 0 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days; 0 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,380 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 1, 2006
- Maximum gross weight: 2,325 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-O3G (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: JEF Jefferson City MO at 7:15 pm
- Destination: JEF
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 30, 6,001 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 7,000 ft
- Temperature: 93°F (34°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.03 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from JEF
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.