Piper PA-24-151 accident near Chesterfield, Missouri, August 29, 1983
On August 29, 1983 at about 10:51 am local time, a Piper PA-24-151, registered N7993C, 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). 2 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 29, 1983 · about 10:51 am local time
- Place
- Chesterfield, Missouri · Spirit Of St Louis · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-24-151 · all PA-24-151s on the register
- Registration
- N7993C · no longer on the register · serial 287615070
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT LANDED A LAWRENCEBURG, TN, ON THE EVENING OF 8/28/83. THUNDERSTORMS WERE REPORTED IN THE AREA AT THAT TIME. AT LAWRENCEBURG, FUEL WAS AVAILABLE DURING DAYLIGHT HOURS. AT 0203 THE NEXT MORNING, THE PLT CALLED THE MUSCLE SHOALS FSS & OBTAINED A WX BRIEFING & FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN. HE DEPARTED LAWRENCEBURG AT ABOUT 0250. DURING ARRIVAL TO LAND AT THE SPIRIT OF ST. LOUIS ARPT, HE WAS ADVISE THAT THE WX WAS: SKY PARTIALLY OBSCURED, 1/8 MI VISIBILITY WITH FOG & HAZE, WIND CALM. ALSO, HE WAS ADVISED THAT THE OUTER MARKER LOCATOR WAS OUT OF SERVICE. THE PLT FLEW AN ILS APCH, BUT MADE A MISSED APCH. HE STARTED TO DIVERT TO WEISS ARPT (APRX 12 MI AWAY), BUT THE ENG BEGAN LOSING POWER FROM LOW FUEL. VECTORS WERE PROVIDED BACK TO THE SPIRIT OF ST LOUIS ARPT & THE PLT TRIED TO LAND AGAIN. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ENG QUIT RUNNING & THE ACFT IMPACTED THE GROUND IN A NOSE DOWN, RIGHT WING LOW ATTITUDE. NO FUEL WAS FOUND IN THE WING TANKS OR ENG FUEL LINES. THE PLT WAS DUE TO BE AT WORK AT 0600 & HIS TRANSPORTATION WAS AT SPIRIT.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 244 hours in all; 20 in this make and model; 39 in the last 90 days; 32 in the last 30 days; 183 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,942 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 18, 1983; 50 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E3D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 2M2 Lawrenceburg TN
- Destination: SUS Chesterfield MO
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 7, 6,008 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 250° at 4 knots
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 10:04 am from SUS
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.