Robinson R-22 accident near St. Louis, Missouri, March 14, 1983
On March 14, 1983 at about 8:15 pm local time, a Robinson R-22 (helicopter), registered N9024Z, was destroyed in an accident near St. Louis, Missouri. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. 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 accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 14, 1983 · about 8:15 pm local time
- Place
- St. Louis, Missouri · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Robinson R-22 · all R-22s on the register
- Registration
- N9024Z · registry record · serial 0038
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE HELICOPTER WAS OBSERVED BY SEVERAL WITNESSES FLYING AT 200-300 FEET ABOVE THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. AS IT WOBBLED AND BUFFETED AND ROLLED TO THE RIGHT. IT WAS SPINNING AND THE TAIL ROTOR SEPARATED SHORTLY FOLLOWED BY AN EXPLOSION WITH A BLUEISH/WHITE SMOKE AND PIECES FLYING OFF AS IT FELL INVERTED. DURING THE FALL THE MAIN ROTOR SEPARATED AND WHAT WAS LEFT FELL INTO THE RIVER. A TUG BOAT RECOVERED SOME PAPERS, TWO CUSHIONS AND A WALLET BELONGING TO THE STUDENT PILOT. SEARCHING AND DRAGGING OPERATIONS WERE CONDUCTED FOR 4 DAYS WITH NEGATIVE RESULTS AND WERE TERMINATED. THE WRECKAGE AND BODIES HAVE NOT BEEN RECOVERED.
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: helicopter; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 748 hours in all; 110 in this make and model; 112 in the last 90 days; 39 in the last 30 days; 581 as pilot in command; 149 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 339 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 28, 1983; 17 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,300 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-A2B (piston); 0 hours total
- Not recorded
The flight
- Departed from: CPS East St. Louis IL at 7:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 12 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:20 pm from CPS, 4 miles away
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 MKC83FA076.