Cessna 140 accident near Eldon, Missouri, April 8, 1987
On April 8, 1987 at about 4:15 pm local time, a Cessna 140, registered N2559N, was substantially damaged in an accident near Eldon, Missouri (Eldon Model Airpark 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
- April 8, 1987 · about 4:15 pm local time
- Place
- Eldon, Missouri · Eldon Model Airpark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 140 · all 140s on the register
- Registration
- N2559N · registry record · serial 12815
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, WINDS WERE LIGHT PRIOR TO THE FINAL APPROACH, BUT A GUST OF WIND PICKED UP THE RIGHT WING AND THE AIRCRAFT BALLOONED DURING THE FLARE, RUNNING OUT OF AIRSPEED WHILE IN A FULL-STALL/THREE-POINT ATTITUDE. UPON IMPACT, BOTH MAIN GEARS BROKE IN RAPID SUCCESSION, GENERALLY ABOUT THE MID-STRUT STEP MOUNT AREA OF THE LEAF SPRING GEAR ASSEMBLY. THE AIRCRAFT SKIDDED TO A STOP DAMAGING THE PROPELLER AND THE RIGHT WING TIP. A DETAILED VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT'S LANDING GEAR REVEALED THE DAMAGE TO BE A BRITTLE FRACTURE, JUST BELOW THE STEP MOUNTS.
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: 101 hours in all; 12 in this make and model; 80 in the last 90 days; 40 in the last 30 days; 80 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 10, 1987; 25 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,450 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-85-12 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 3WE St.Louis MO at 2:00 pm
- Destination: H79 Eldon MO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 3,175 ft by 45 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:45 am from JEF, 25 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.
Other NTSB records under N2559N 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.