Beech D55 accident near Cape Girardeau, Missouri, January 25, 1983
On January 25, 1983 at about 4:58 pm local time, a Beech D55, registered N7815R, was destroyed in an accident near Cape Girardeau, Missouri (Cape Girardeau airport). It was a business 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 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
- January 25, 1983 · about 4:58 pm local time
- Place
- Cape Girardeau, Missouri · Cape Girardeau · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech D55 · all D55s on the register
- Registration
- N7815R · no longer on the register · serial TE 667
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRCRAFT WAS LANDED GEAR UP ON THE RUNWAY AFTER A BUSINESS FLIGHT. THE PILOT SAID HE LOWERED THE LANDING GEAR HANDLEAND OBSERVED THE GREEN LANDING GEAR DOWN LIGHT ILLUMINATE AFTER RECEIVING CLEARANCE TO LAND. THE PILOT SAID HE DID NOT CROSS CHECK THE NOSE GEAR INDICATOR AND DID NOT HEAR THE LANDING GEAR WARNING HORN ALTHOUGH THE THROTTLES WERE AT FLIGHTIDLE BEFORE TOUCHDOWN. AFTER THE GEAR UP LANDING, A FIRE ERUPTED AND DESTROYED THE AIRCRAFT.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 670 hours in all; 650 in this make and model; 7 in the last 90 days; 655 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,199 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 1982; 55 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,300 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520-C (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: 3WF Fenton MO at 4:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 28, 6,499 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 110° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 3,000 ft; scat at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:58 pm from CGI
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.