Amateur-built SKYOTE accident near St. Louis, Missouri, March 31, 1986
On March 31, 1986 at about 8:45 pm local time, a amateur-built SKYOTE, registered N106DC, was destroyed in an accident near St. Louis, Missouri (Creve Coeur airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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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 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 31, 1986 · about 8:45 pm local time
- Place
- St. Louis, Missouri · Creve Coeur · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built SKYOTE
- Registration
- N106DC · registry record · serial 23
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT BUILT THE HOMEBUILT AIRPLANE FROM DATA OBTAINED FROM SKYOTE AEROMARINE LTD. AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, THE AIRPLANE HAD 51 HOURS ON IT AND THE PILOT/BUILDER HAD FLOWN ALL OF THE 51 HOURS. ON THIS FLIGHT HE WAS OBSERVED TO DEPART ON RUNWAY 16, FLY OUT FOR OVER A MILE, MAKE AN ABRUPT 180 DEGREE TURN WITH THE WINGS BANKED 90 DEGREES. THE WINGS WERE LEVELED FOR SEVERAL SECONDS AND THEN THE AIRPLANE ENTERED A LEFT NOSEDOWN SPIRAL. AFTER ONE COMPLETE TURN, THE AIRPLANE STOPPED TURNING BUT CONTINUED IN A 70 TO 80 DEGREES NOSEDOWN ATTITUDE UNTIL IT COULD NO LONGER BE SEEN DUE TO TREES IN THE LINE OF SIGHT. THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED IN A WIDE OPEN, LEVEL FIELD, ALMOST STRAIGHT DOWN. NO PREIMPACT PROBLEMS WITH THE AIRPLANE COULD BE FOUND.
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
- Flight time: 1,046 hours in all; 51 in this make and model; 1,021 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 51 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 19, 1985; 25 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 895 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235C2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 15 knots, gusting 21
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:45 pm from STL, 7 miles away
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number MKC86FA077.