Cessna 150 accident near Chesterfield, Missouri, January 20, 1991
On January 20, 1991 at about 2:05 pm local time, a Cessna 150, registered N5363Q, 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
DIRECTIONAL CONTROL WAS NOT MAINTAINED BY THE PILOT. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: A LACK OF TOTAL EXPERIENCE BY THE PILOT AND THE PRESENCE OF A SNOWBANK ADJACENT TO THE RUNWAY.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 20, 1991 · about 2:05 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 150 · all 150s on the register
- Registration
- N5363Q · registry record · serial 15073263
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE STUDENT PILOT SAID THAT WHILE PRACTICING TAKEOFFS AND LANDINGS, HE LOST DIRECTIONAL CONTROL DURING A LANDING. THE AIRPLANE SLID OFF THE RUNWAY AND COLLIDED WITH A SNOW BANK.
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: student
- Flight time: 20 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Unknown
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, January 2, 2000
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Braddock Enterprises
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 26, 3,800 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,400 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 2:13 pm from SUS, 1 miles away
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 N5363Q 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.