Beech 200 accident near Chesterfield, Missouri, March 3, 1993
On March 3, 1993, a Beech 200, registered N7257T, was substantially damaged in an accident near Chesterfield, Missouri (Spirit Of St. Louis airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 6 people were on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL AFTER ENCOUNTERING WHITEOUT CONDITIONS IN THE LANDING FLARE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 3, 1993
- Place
- Chesterfield, Missouri · Spirit Of St. Louis · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 6 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Beech 200 · all 200s on the register
- Registration
- N7257T · registry record · serial BB-1246
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT STATED THE ILS APPROACH WAS '...UNEVENTFUL TO WITHIN 2 (FEET) OF TOUCHDOWN, WHEN WE ENCOUNTERED THICK FOG AND...COMPLETE WHITEOUT LOSING ALL FORWARD VISIBILITY AND COMPLETE RUNWAY ENVIRONMENT AT TOUCHDOWN.' THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN LEFT OF THE RUNWAY CENTERLINE AND THE LEFT PROPELLER IMPACTED A SNOWBANK AT THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT VEERED OFF THE LEFT SIDE OF RUNWAY 8R (7,000' X 150') AND SKIDDED TO A STOP PERPENDICULAR TO AND FACING THE RUNWAY. A WEATHER OBSERVATION TAKEN 9 MINUTES AFTER THE ACCIDENT REVEALED TEMPERATURE AND DEW POINT WERE BOTH 41 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT, WITH VISIBILITY 3/16 MILE IN LIGHT DRIZZLE AND FOG.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 17,000 hours in all; 1,800 in this make and model; 22 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days; 16,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,386 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, November 25, 1992; 80 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 12,500 lb
- Seats: 10
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W PT6-42 (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Bunge Corporation
The flight
- Departed from: DCU Decatur AL at 11:00 pm
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 8, 7,000 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 070° at 5 knots
- Sky: not recorded at 200 ft
- Temperature: 41°F (5°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| 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.
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.