Douglas DC-3C accident near St. Louis, Missouri, January 10, 1984
On January 10, 1984 at about 4:32 am local time, a Douglas DC-3C, registered CGSCA, was substantially damaged in an accident near St. Louis, Missouri (Lambert-St.Louis airport). It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured. 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 10, 1984 · about 4:32 am local time
- Place
- St. Louis, Missouri · Lambert-St.Louis · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Douglas DC-3C · all DC-3Cs on the register
- Registration
- CGSCA · no longer on the register · serial 27190
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AFTER LANDING, THE PLT-IN-COMMAND (PIC) PLACED A REFUELING ORDER TO FILL THE ACFT'S TWO 210 GAL MAIN TANKS FOR A RETURN FLT TO TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA. AFTER THE CARGO WAS UNLOADED & THE ACFT WAS REFUELED, THE AIRCREW ABORTED THE 1ST 2 ATTEMPTS TO TAKEOFF DUE TO SLOW ACFT PERFORMANCE. ENG RUN-UPS WERE PERFORMED AFTER EACH ABORT & REPORTEDLY, THE ENGS CHECKED NORMAL. AFTER THE 2ND ABORTED TAKEOFF, THE AIRCREW CALLED THE FBO & REQUESTED THAT THE REFUELER BE ASKED WHAT TYPE OF FUEL WAS ADDED. THE RESPONSE WAS '100LL AVGAS.' ON THE 3RD ATTEMPT TO DEPART, THE ACFT TOOK OFF, BUT BOTH ENGS LOST POWER AS THE LANDING GEAR WAS RETRACTED. THE AIRCREW SELECTED A HIGHWAY ON WHICH TO LAND. HOWEVER, THE LEFT WING HIT A UTILITY POLE, THEN THE ACFT WENT THRU A FENCE & HIT A HIGHWAY EMBANKMENT. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT JET-A FUEL HAD BEEN ADDED TO THE ACFT RATHER THAN 100LL FUEL. THE TRUCK CONTAINING JET-A FUEL LOOKED SIMILAR TO THE ONE WITH 100LL AVGAS, BUT WAS PROPERLY DESIGNATED WITH FUEL GRADE MARKINGS.
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: airline transport pilot, foreign licence
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,000 hours in all; 1,350 in this make and model; 200 in the last 90 days; 65 in the last 30 days; 2,400 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 17,933 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, January 4, 1984; 25 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 25,200 lb
- Seats: 24
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W R-1830 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Destination: YYZ Toronto
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 24, 7,600 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 340° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,400 ft; not recorded at 1,400 ft
- Temperature: 28°F (-2°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:44 am from STL
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 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.