- Date
- July 4, 1998, 16:05 local (21:05 UTC)
- Place
- Chesterfield, MO
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N2XCCessna 172M
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 16, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19980704023599A
- Case key
- 10949
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
the pilot's not obtaining and maintaining directional control. A factor was wet terrain (grass).
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The airplane exited the runway after touchdown, traversed a wet grassy area and impacted a taxiway. The pilot said that he did not have his feet on the brakes, neither did he make any rudder input on touchdown. He said that he did not realize when the nosewheel contacted the runway. He said that after exiting the runway, his application of brakes and left rudder stopped the right turn, but did not return the airplane to the runway. The airplane continued across a taxiway where the nosewheel contacted a lip on the pavement and collapsed. Subsequent to the accident an examination of the airplane was conducted and no anomalies were found in the brakes or continuity of the flight controls.
Factual narrative
On July 4, 1998, at 1605 central daylight time, a Cessna 172M, N2XC, operated by a private pilot sustained substantial damage when it exited runway 26R (3,800' x 75' dry/asphalt) on landing at Spirit of Saint Louis Airport, near Chesterfield, Missouri. The pilot reported no injuries. The personal 14 CFR Part 91 flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions. No flight plan was on file. The local flight departed about 1530.
The pilot stated in his written statement that on landing the airplane veered to the right and exited the runway. He said that he felt he did not have his feet on the brakes nor to be making right rudder input on touchdown, but he did not take note of when the nosewheel contacted the runway.. He said that after veering off the runway, using brakes and left rudder stopped the right turn, but did not return the airplane to the runway. He said that the grass was wet. The airplane continued across a taxiway where the nosewheel contacted a lip on the pavement and collapsed.
Subsequent to the accident an examination of the airplane was conducted and no anomalies were found in the brakes or continuity of the flight controls.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2XC
- Reported as
- Cessna 172M
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17266833
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- E. D. Graham
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · June 12, 1998 · 40 hours before
- Departed
- SUS
- Airport
- SUS · Spiirit Of St Louis, runway 26R, 3,800 × 75 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 29
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 167 total · 64 in this make and model · 100 as pilot in command · 42 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SUS
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.