Piper PA-28R-201 accident near Chesterfield, Missouri, September 30, 1996
On September 30, 1996 at about 4:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-28R-201, registered N6008H, 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; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
improper flare by the dual student during the landing, and delayed remedial action by the flight instructor (CFI).
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 30, 1996 · about 4:30 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
- Piper PA-28R-201 · all PA-28R-201s on the register
- Registration
- N6008H · registry record · serial 28R-7837047
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor (CFI) reported that the student (commercial pilot) was training to renew his flight instructor certificate. During the second landing, the student was five to ten knots slow on final approach. The flight instructor made a verbal recommendation. (He reported that he might have said 'airspeed.') Two or three seconds before touchdown, the instructor put his hands on the yolk and 'assisted' the student. The instructor reported that the airplane touched down hard, but that '. . . there was no indication after this landing that the airplane was not safe for another circuit and we proceeded to do another takeoff and another landing.' After the plane was parked, dented skin was observed on the left wing. Examination of the airplane revealed substantial damage to the left wing structure.
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; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 696 hours in all; 87 in this make and model; 186 in the last 90 days; 62 in the last 30 days; 612 as pilot in command; 283 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: D&A Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: SUS at 10:15 am
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 26, 3,800 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.