Piper PA31-350 accident near Chillicothe, Missouri, October 24, 1983
On October 24, 1983 at about 11:30 pm local time, a Piper PA31-350, registered N62898, was substantially damaged in an accident near Chillicothe, Missouri (Chillicothe Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 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
- October 24, 1983 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Chillicothe, Missouri · Chillicothe Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA31-350 · all PA31-350s on the register
- Registration
- N62898 · registry record · serial 31-7652157
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING ARRIVAL, THE PLT ATTEMPTED TO LOWER THE GEAR, BUT ONLY 2 OF THE 3 WOULD INDICATE DOWN & SAFE. THE PLT WAS UNABLE TO EXTEND THE LEFT GEAR, SO HE CONTINUED FLYING FOR APRX 1 HR TO BURN DOWN FUEL, THEN INTENTIONALLY LANDED WITH THE GEAR UP. THE LANDING WAS MADE BEFORE DARK IN A GRASSY AREA BESIDE THE ACTIVE RWY. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE UP-LOCK ASSEMBLY, ROD END BEARING ATTACHMENT BOLT FOR THE LEFT GEAR HAD FAILED.
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: 12,200 hours in all; 8,500 in this make and model; 130 in the last 90 days; 11 as pilot in command; 11 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,896 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, March 21, 1983
- Maximum gross weight: 7,000 lb
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TIO-540-J2BD (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MO86 Higginsville MO at 10:15 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 32, 3,900 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 360° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 4,500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.