Cessna 172R accident near Chesterfield, Missouri, May 7, 2007
On May 7, 2007 at about 5:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172R, registered N51827, was substantially damaged in an accident near Chesterfield, Missouri (Spirit Of St Louis airport). It was an instructional 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
Inadequate flare during landing. The induced oscillation, not performing a go-around, the pilot's lack of experience and the failure to perform remedial action were factors.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 7, 2007 · about 5:30 pm local time
- Place
- Chesterfield, Missouri · Spirit Of St Louis
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172R · all 172Rs on the register
- Registration
- N51827 · registry record · serial 17281108
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot stated that during a straight-in visual approach, the airplane was high, fast, and above the glide path provided by the visual approach slope indicator. The student pilot stated that he could have performed a go-around but felt pressure by air traffic control to land. He also stated that he felt pressure to comply with air traffic control instructions and to clear the airspace as quickly as possible rather than seek an alternative course of action. During the flare, the nose was lowered and the airplane began to porpoise. He stated that he didn't know what a porpoise was at the time and how to correct from it.
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
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 40 hours in all; 40 in this make and model; 7 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 333.7 hours
- Maximum gross weight: 2,450 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-L2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SUS St. Louis IL
- Destination: SUS
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 08L, 5,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 81°F (27°C)
- Altimeter: 29.56 inHg
- Observation at 4:54 pm from SUS
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.
Other NTSB records under N51827 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.