Beech A36 accident near Chesterfield, Missouri, October 12, 1985
On October 12, 1985 at about 10:00 pm local time, a Beech A36, registered N72060, was substantially damaged in an accident near Chesterfield, Missouri (Spirit Of St. Louis airport). It was a personal 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
- October 12, 1985 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Chesterfield, Missouri · Spirit Of St. Louis · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech A36 · all A36s on the register
- Registration
- N72060 · no longer on the register · serial E-2184
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT WAS ON AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN FLIGHT WHEN THE ENGINE ALTERNATOR FAILED AND THE AIRCRAFT BATTERY BECAME SO DEPLETED THAT THE NAV AND COM EQUIPMENT FAILED. PILOT WAS ABLE TO DESCEND TO VFR CONDITIONS. HE STATED HE USED THE CHECKLIST TO MANUALLY EXTEND THE LANDING GEAR BUT EACH TIME HE RELEASED THE CRANK, IT TURNED IN A REVERSE DIRECTION BY ITSELF AND HE FANALLY ELECTED TO LAND GEAR-UP ALONGSIDE THE RUNWAY. HE LATER STATED THAT HE DID HAVE THE GEAR HANDLE DOWN BUT FORGOT TO PULL THE LANDING GEAR MOTOR CIRCUIT BREAKER.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 256 hours in all; 158 in this make and model; 35 in the last 90 days; 140 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 300 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 1, 1985; 45 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-550-B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: IRK Kirksville MO at 8:45 pm
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:45 pm from SUS
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.
Other NTSB records under N72060 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.