Piper PA28 accident near Point Lookout, Missouri, August 25, 2018
On August 25, 2018 at about 2:30 pm local time, a 1976 Piper PA28, registered N7635F, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Point Lookout, Missouri (M Graham Clark Downtown 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 student pilot's inadvertent left brake application during the landing roll, which resulted in a runway excursion and collision with runway lights.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 25, 2018 · about 2:30 pm local time
- Place
- Point Lookout, Missouri · M Graham Clark Downtown · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA28 181, built 1976 · all PA28s on the register
- Registration
- N7635F · no longer on the register · serial 28-7790197
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot reported that, during the landing roll, he inadvertently applied the left toe brake while attempting to apply left rudder. The airplane veered left, and he attempted to regain directional control, but the airplane exited the left side of the runway and collided with runway lighting before coming to a stop. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing. The student reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Miscellaneous/other during landing (landing roll)
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery during landing (landing roll)
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Brake › Unintentional use/operation
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Student/instructed pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Runway/taxi/approach light › Effect on equipment
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 28.7 hours in all; 28.7 in this make and model; 23.3 in the last 90 days; 7.8 in the last 30 days; 3.7 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,838 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 27, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4M (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PLK Point Lookout MO at 2:20 pm
- Destination: PLK Point Lookout MO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 30, 3,738 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.09 inHg
- Observation at 2:48 pm from KBBG, 6 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on April 30, 2019. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photos | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.