Piper PA-28-140 accident near St. Louis, Missouri, February 4, 1995
On February 4, 1995 at about 9:50 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-140, registered N694SK, was destroyed in an accident near St. Louis, Missouri. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A loss of engine power due to an excessive fuel mixture caused by undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 4, 1995 · about 9:50 pm local time
- Place
- St. Louis, Missouri · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-140 · all PA-28-140s on the register
- Registration
- N694SK · no longer on the register · serial 28-7425056
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot said the airplane was difficult to start after numerous fuel priming actions and two start attempts. It started on the third attempt after using what he described as a flooded engine start. Ten minutes after takeoff the engine sputtered and rpm dropped to 1,500. The pilot applied carburetor heat, chose alternate magneto positions, turned on the electric fuel pump, and adjusted the mixture to no avail. He said the power fluctuated before the engine lost all its power. A witness observed a fluid coming from the airplane as it flew overhead. The fluid landed on his windshield and evaporated. During the forced landing, the airplane impacted the roof of an abandoned two-story building. The engine, fuel, and ignition systems examination revealed no anomalies that would prevent power production. Soot and carbon-like deposits were on the carburetor's venturi and spark plugs. A carburetor icing probability chart showed carburetor icing was not probable.
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
- Flight time: 160 hours in all; 7 in this make and model; 3 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 71 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,878 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, December 1, 1994; 23 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E3D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CPS at 9:40 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Temperature: 30°F (-1°C), dew point 12°F (-11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.