Weiss Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

St. Louis, Missouri 63166
Saturday, June 18, 1988 12:50 CDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

ARRIVING AT HIS DESTINATION AIRPORT AFTER A NIGHT 14 CFR 135 AIR TAXI CARGO FLIGHT, THE MAIN LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED DURING ROLL-OUT CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT. POST ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION REVEALED A BROKEN LANDING GEAR DRAG LINK, WHICH CAUSED THE MAIN GEAR COLLAPSE. THE ACFT WAS A VOLPAR TRI-GEAR CONVERSION OF THE BEECH 18 USING GARRETT TURBOPROP ENGINES AND WITH AN INCREASED MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE GROSS WEIGHT.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 6/18/1988
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 1250
Event Time Zone Central Daylight Time
Event City ST. LOUIS
Event State MISSOURI
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 63166
Event Date Year 1988
Event Date Month 6
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport WEISS
Event Location Nearest Airport ID 3WE
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport On Airport
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation 435
Weather Briefing Completeness Full
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 150 Central Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 300
Weather Observation Facility ID SUS
Elevation of weather observation facility 461
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 15
Time Zone of the weather observation CDT
Lighting Conditions Night/Dark
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Clear
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 12
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 17
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 14
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 240
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 5
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury None
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None 1
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 950
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Jun 19 1988 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 200
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 36959
Date of most recent change to record Dec 13 2000 11:51AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N4234A
NTSB Number MKC88LA112
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter
Type of Flight Plan filed IFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Substantial
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name Beech
Aircraft Model D18S
Aircraft Series Identifier D18S
Aircraft Serial Number A-366
Certified Max Gross Weight 11500
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 2
Number of Engines 2
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection 100 Hour
Date of Last Inspection Jun 2 1988 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 35
Airframe Hours 11333
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name SABER AVIATION INC
Aircraft Owner Street Address 3840 AIRPORT DRIVE
Aircraft Owner City CHARLOTTE
Aircraft Owner State NC
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 28208
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address
Operator City
Operator State
Operator Country
Operator Zip code
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate Yes - certificate holder
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not Non-scheduled
Indicates Domestic or International Flight Domestic
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail Cargo
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Unknown
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code CLT
Departure City CHARLOTTE
Departure State NC
Departure Country
Departure Time 2250
Departure Time Zone EDT
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Landing
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:35AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 36
Runway Length 3030
Runway Width 40
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --