Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
St. Louis Downtown Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Cahokia, Illinois 62206
Sunday, February 16, 2003 17:23 CST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The nose gear separated from the airplane following a loss of directional control while landing. The pilot reported the automatic terminal information service (ATIS) was reporting the wind as being from 010 degrees at 14 knots, gusting to 21 knots. He reported that prior to landing, he was informed by the tower that the braking action was fair. The pilot reported that during the landing roll, at a speed of about 30 miles per hour, the airplane began drifting to the left. He stated that he attempted to correct the drift using nose wheel steering, right rudder, and right brake, to no avail. He reported the thick ice and snow on the left side of the runway pulled the airplane further to the left. The airplane departed the left side of the runway where it came to rest on its nose. The nose gear had separated from the airplane and according to the pilot, it was located approximately 20 feet behind the airplane. Friction testing on runway 30L performed approximately 46 minutes prior to the accident produced readings of 34%g, 36%g, and 33%g, on various sections of the runway. These readings equate to a medium braking action.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot failed to maintain directional control of the airplane during landing. Factors associated with the accident were the snow covered runway, the crosswind, and the overload failure of the nose gear.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 2/16/2003 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1723 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Standard Time |
| Event City | Cahokia |
| Event State | ILLINOIS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 62206 |
| Event Date Year | 2003 |
| Event Date Month | 2 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 383414N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0900922W |
| Event Location Airport | St. Louis Downtown Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | CPS |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 413 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1520 Central Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | CPS |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 413 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | -- |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CST |
| Lighting Conditions | Dusk |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 600 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | -- |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Indefinite (V V) |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 0.75 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | -6 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -8 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 10 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 14 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.17 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -2289 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 14539 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | Feb 17 2003 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 700 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 30 2003 8:55AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\JOHB |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | St. Louis, MO FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N30TF |
| NTSB Number | CHI03LA077 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Swearingen |
| Aircraft Model | SA-26AT |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | T-26-162 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 10000 |
| 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 | -- |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Continuous Airworthiness |
| Date of Last Inspection | Feb 7 2003 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 7 |
| Airframe Hours | 5700 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Merlin Aviation, LLC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 607 S. Lindbergh Blvd |
| Aircraft Owner City | St. Louis |
| Aircraft Owner State | MO |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 63131 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| 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 | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | EYE |
| Departure City | Indianapolis |
| Departure State | IN |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1600 |
| Departure Time Zone | CST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | CPS |
| Destination City | Cahokia |
| Destination State | IL |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Landing - roll |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 31 2003 9:00AM |
| User who most recently changed record | SULP |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 30L |
| Runway Length | 6997 |
| Runway Width | 100 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |