Piper PA-34-200T accident near Chesterfield, Missouri, June 3, 1983
On June 3, 1983 at about 10:11 pm local time, a Piper PA-34-200T, registered N69CZ, was substantially damaged in an accident near Chesterfield, Missouri (Spirit Of St. Louis airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were 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
- June 3, 1983 · about 10:11 pm local time
- Place
- Chesterfield, Missouri · Spirit Of St. Louis · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-34-200T · all PA-34-200Ts on the register
- Registration
- N69CZ · registry record · serial 347670305
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT SWERVED OFF THE RUNWAY INTO SOFT TERRAIN AND COLLAPSED THE MAIN GEAR DURING LANDING. THE PILOT STATED THAT A NORMAL LANDING WAS MADE AFTER WHICH THE LEFT TIRE BLEW OUT AND THE ACFT SWERVED OFF THE RUNWAY. EXAMINATION OF THE TIRE AFTER THE ACCIDENT SHOWED THE TIRE WAS FLAT BUT THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF A BLOWOUT.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,411 hours in all; 405 in this make and model; 7 in the last 90 days; 2,325 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 680 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, October 28, 1982; 37 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,570 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-360E (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ICT Wichita KS at 8:15 pm
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 25, 6,008 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:19 pm from SUS
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
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.