Beech F33A incident near Chesterfield, Missouri, May 4, 1982
On May 4, 1982 at about 10:30 pm local time, a Beech F33A, registered N2048Z, suffered minor damage in an incident near Chesterfield, 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 NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this incident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 4, 1982 · about 10:30 pm local time
- Place
- Chesterfield, Missouri · Spirit Of St. Louis · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech F33A · all F33As on the register
- Registration
- N2048Z · registry record · serial CE828
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHEN THE AIRCRAFT WAS RETURNING FOR LANDING, THE PILOT SELECTED GEAR DOWN AND STATED THAT HE FELT IT EXTEND BUT COULD NOT RECALL SEEING THE GREEN GEAR DOWN LIGHTS BECAUSE HE WAS SCANNING FOR TRAFFIC. SHORTLY AFTERWARDS HE EXPERIENCED A RAPID ELECTRICAL POWER DECAY. THE PILOT SATISFIED HIMSELF THAT THE GEAR WAS LOCKED DOWN BY USING THE EMERGENCY GEAR EXTENSION SYSTEM. AFTER RECEIVING A GREEN LIGHT FROM THE TOWER, THE PILOT LANDED ON THE MAIN GEAR AND EASED THE NOSE WHEEL ONTO THE RUNWAY. AS THE NOSE WHEEL TOUCHED THE RUNWAY THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED AND THE PROP AND NOSE OF THE AIRPLANE STRUCK THE RUNWAY. SUBSEQUENT INSPECTION REVEALED THAT ONE DIODE IN THE ALTERNATOR AND THE STORAGE BATTERY WERE INOPERATIVE, AND THE VOLTAGE REGULATOR WAS NOT OPERATING PROPERLY. THE NOSE GEAR EXTENSION BRACE WAS FOUND BENT ENOUGH TO PREVENT THE NOSE GEAR FROM EXTENDING COMPLETELY.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,897 hours in all; 986 in this make and model; 106 in the last 90 days; 2,722 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 800 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 118 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520-BB (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Air Safety Investigator'S, INC
The flight
- Departed from: SUS Chesterfield MO
- Destination: SUS Chesterfield MO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 25, 6,008 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 6,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 172°F (78°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
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.