- Date
- May 2, 1990, 11:48 local (16:48 UTC)
- Place
- St. Louis, MO
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N3986XPiper PA-28-151
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 28, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900502013179A
- Case key
- 34974
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
Inadequate maintenance and proper touchdown point not attained by the pilot in command.
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 commercial plt had just departed for a local flight on runway 8L, and shortly after developed engine problems with roughness and backfiring. The plt declared an emergency and was given permission to make a 180 degree turn and land on 26R. A downwind landing was attempted that resulted in an overran and subsequent collision with the terrain. Prior to this flight the spark plugs had been serviced due to roughness, and post accident investigation revealed the plugs to be fouled.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3986X
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-151
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-7515439
- Airframe hours
- 1,995
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E3D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- D & A Aviation
- Registered owner
- Braddock, Mark P.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · April 4, 1990 · 25 hours before
- Departed
- SUS
- Airport
- SUS · Spirit Of St. Louis, runway 26, 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
- 66
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,164 total · 9 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SUS, 1 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N3986X · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.