Cessna R182 accident near Chesterfield, Missouri, May 16, 1999
On May 16, 1999 at about 11:00 pm local time, a Cessna R182, registered N738WK, 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). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's failure to attain clearance over the fence. Factors associated with the accident were the pilot's inadequate compensation for the wind conditions which resulted in a loss of directional control, the crosswind, and the fence posts.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made September 29, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 16, 1999 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Chesterfield, Missouri · Spirit Of St. Louis · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna R182 · all R182s on the register
- Registration
- N738WK · registry record · serial R18200969
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated he was landing on runway 08L with a crosswind which varied from 170 to 210 degrees, at 10 to 15 knots. The airplane bounced on touchdown and he recovered by bringing the airplane back to the runway on all three landing gear. He stated the airspeed was high and the it 'quickly veered' off the left side of the runway into the grass. He aborted the landing and during the initial climb, the airplane contacted the metal supports for a temporary fence which was located about 20 to 30 yards from the runway. Substantial damage resulted to the horizontal stabilizer. The pilot continued the takeoff and returned to land without incident.
The NTSB's narratives can run to many pages; this is the opening. Read the full report at the NTSB.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database and is rewritten in plain English only where the NTSB used codes; the probable cause and narrative are the NTSB's own words. This site 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 CHI99LA154.