Piper PA-28-181 accident near Chesterfield, Missouri, July 5, 1995
On July 5, 1995 at about 2:21 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-181, registered N9144T, 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
The pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane while landing and his inadequate compensation for wind conditions. A factor in the accident was the gusty crosswind conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 5, 1995 · about 2:21 pm local time
- Place
- Chesterfield, Missouri · Spirit Of St. Louis · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-181 · all PA-28-181s on the register
- Registration
- N9144T · registry record · serial 28-8690029
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
UPON TOUCHDOWN, THE AIRPLANE BALLOONED BACK INTO THE AIR. THE STUDENT PILOT REPORTED THAT THE AIRPLANE THEN LANDED ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE RUNWAY DUE TO THE CROSSWIND. THE PILOT STATED THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR GOT CAUGHT ON THE CORNER OF THE RUNWAY AND TAXIWAY, CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE LANDING GEAR AND CAUSING THE AIRPLANE TO EXIT ONTO THE GRASS ADJACENT TO THE RUNWAY. THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR WAS SHEARED FROM THE AIRPLANE AND DAMAGE WAS SUSTAINED BY THE LEFT WING, ENGINE FIRE WALL, AND ENGINE MOUNTS. A SURFACE WEATHER OBSERVATION TAKEN SIX MINUTES AFTER THE ACCIDENT REPORTED THE WINDS FROM 210 DEGREES AT 13 KNOTS, GUSTING TO 24 KNOTS.
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: 91 hours in all; 91 in this make and model; 19 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 32 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,770 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 18, 1994; 105 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4M (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SUS St. Louis MO at 1:45 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 26R, 3,800 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 13 knots, gusting 24
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; scat at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:27 pm from SUS
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 N9144T the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CHI95LA216.