Cessna 210L accident near Chesterfield, Missouri, January 31, 1994
On January 31, 1994 at about 10:32 pm local time, a Cessna 210L, registered N810BP, 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). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND'S POORLY PLANNED APPROACH. A FACTOR IN THE ACCIDENT WAS THE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER FOR AN UNDETERMINED REASON.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 31, 1994 · about 10:32 pm local time
- Place
- Chesterfield, Missouri · Spirit Of St. Louis
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 210L · all 210Ls on the register
- Registration
- N810BP · no longer on the register · serial 21061365
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PASSENGER/OWNER ABOARD THE AIRPLANE REPORTED THE ENGINE LOST ALL POWER WHILE ON FINAL APPROACH TO LANDING. HE SAID THE PIC SWITCHED FUEL TANKS AND PUMPED THE THROTTLE IN AN UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPT TO RESTART THE ENGINE. THE ENGINE WAS REMOVED FROM THE AIRPLANE AND PLACED ON A TEST STAND WHERE IT STARTED AND RAN WITHOUT ANY OBSERVED ANOMALIES. THE AIRPLANE STRUCK TERRAIN APPROXIMATELY 700' SHORT OF THE 7,000' 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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,970 hours in all; 130 in this make and model; 85 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 5,925 as pilot in command; 4,325 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,094 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 22, 1994; 5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520-L-3A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 26L, 7,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,500 ft
- Temperature: 19°F (-7°C), dew point 3°F (-16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:45 pm from SUS, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 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.