Cessna 340 accident near Chesterfield, Missouri, January 3, 1991
On January 3, 1991, a Cessna 340, registered N14DB, was substantially damaged in an accident near Chesterfield, Missouri (Spirit Of St. Louis airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL DURING THE LANDING ROLL. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT ARE A FOGGY WINDSHIELD, MISJUDGEMENT OF ALTITUDE, PREMATURE LANDING FLARE, AND SLUSH ON THE RUNWAY.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 3, 1991
- Place
- Chesterfield, Missouri · Spirit Of St. Louis · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 340 · all 340s on the register
- Registration
- N14DB · registry record · serial 340-0252
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ON FINAL APPROACH FOR LANDING, THE AIRCRAFT WINDSHIELD FOGGED UP. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE THOUGHT HE WAS LOW CROSSING THE RUNWAY THRESHOLD SO HE PULLED THE AIRCRAFT UP. WHEN HE FLARED FOR LANDING, THE AIRCRAFT WAS HIGH AND MADE A HARD LANDING. THE AIRCRAFT BOUNCED ONCE AND SLID OFF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY AFTER THE SECOND TOUCHDOWN. THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED WHEN THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED THE RUNWAY. THERE WAS SLUSH ON THE RUNWAY.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,699 hours in all; 108 in this make and model; 70 in the last 90 days; 40 in the last 30 days; 4,393 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,900 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520-N (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: RID Richmond IN at 10:00 pm
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 8, 7,005 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 010° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,500 ft; not recorded at 1,500 ft
- Temperature: 27°F (-3°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 4 |
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CHI91LA056.