Piper PA46-500TP accident near St. Louis, Missouri, August 20, 2008
On August 20, 2008 at about 7:45 pm local time, a Piper PA46-500TP, registered N618MA, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near St. Louis, Missouri (Spirit Of St Louis Airport). It was a personal 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 ensure that the landing gear was placed in the down position prior to landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 20, 2008 · about 7:45 pm local time
- Place
- St. Louis, Missouri · Spirit Of St Louis Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA46-500TP · all PA46-500TPs on the register
- Registration
- N618MA · registry record · serial 4697218
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While landing at the destination airport, the pilot failed to lower the landing gear. The airplane settled on the runway centerline gear up, departed the right side of the runway, and came to rest in the grass. The pilot was able to egress the airplane without assistance. Damage was discovered to the airplane's left wing leading edge, belly, and fuselage.
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
What happened, in order
- Landing gear not configured during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Forgotten action/omission › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Landing gear selector › Not used/operated
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 1,000 hours in all; 550 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 531 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 8, 2008; 212 hours since
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W PT6A SER; 0 hours total
- Operator: Differential Leasing LLC
The flight
- Departed from: 16G Tiffin OH
- Destination: SUS St. Louis MO
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 26L, 7,485 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 8,500 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 7:49 pm from SUS
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
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.