Cessna 172N accident near Chesterfield, Missouri, July 4, 1992
On July 4, 1992 at about 6:19 pm local time, a Cessna 172N, registered N734VF, 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; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE IMPROPER USE OF THE AIRCRAFT BRAKE SYSTEM BY THE PILOT IN COMMAND.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 4, 1992 · about 6:19 pm local time
- Place
- Chesterfield, Missouri · Spirit Of St. Louis · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N734VF · no longer on the register · serial 17269143
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE VEERED TO THE LEFT AFTER TOUCHDOWN AND COLLIDED WITH A RUNWAY EDGE LIGHT. AN OVAL SHAPED PORTION OF THE TREAD ON BOTH MAIN LANDING GEAR TIRES HAD BEEN ABRADED AWAY EXPOSING THE UNDERLYING TIRE CORD PATTERN. THE PILOT OF THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE STATED HE THOUGHT HE HAD A FLAT TIRE DURING THE LANDING. AFTER VIEWING SKID MARKS ON THE RUNWAY HE CONCLUDED THE TIRES WERE PROBABLY SLIDING ON THE PAVEMENT. HE REMEMBERS USING THE PARKING BRAKE WHEN HE PARKED AT THE AIRPORT WHERE HE HAD LANDED EARLIER. HE DOES NOT REMEMBER THE STATUS OF THE PARKING BRAKE WHEN HE GOT BACK INTO THE AIRPLANE. HE DOES RECALL THAT IT SEEMED TO TAKE MORE THAN THE USUAL AMOUNT OF POWER TO TAXI THE AIRPLANE.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 227 hours in all; 33 in this make and model; 40 in the last 90 days; 21 in the last 30 days; 186 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,159 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 21, 1992; 48 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-H2AD (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Phoenix Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: 3SZ St. Charles MO at 6:10 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 8, 7,000 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 12,000 ft; scat at 4,700 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:24 pm from SUS, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.