Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
St. Louis Downtown Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Cahokia, Illinois 62206
Saturday, March 8, 2003 10:17 CST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The airplane experienced a landing gear collapse following a loss of directional control while landing on runway 12R at the St. Louis Downtown Airport, Cahokia, Illinois. The pilot reported the wind shifted during the landing and the airplane swerved on the runway. He stated he added a little power to straighten out the airplane, but he "ran out" of aileron authority. The airplane continued off the runway where the landing gear collapsed. The local winds reported at CPS, at 0853, were 180 degrees at 11 knots, gusting to 16 knots. At 0953, the winds were 180 degrees at 9 knots, gusting to 18 knots, and at 1053, the winds were from 200 degrees at 15 knots, gusting to 22 knots. The maximum demonstrated crosswind component for the airplane is 15 miles per hour.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot’s inadequate compensation for wind and his failure to maintain directional control of the airplane which resulted in a ground loop. A factor associated with the accident was the gusty crosswind condition.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 3/8/2003 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1017 |
| 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 | 3 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 383424N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0900937W |
| 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 | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 0 |
| Airport Elevation | 413 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 953 Central Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | CPS |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 413 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 17 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 6 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 180 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 9 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 18 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.79 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 896 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 13577 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | Mar 13 2003 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1300 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 1 2003 9:44AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | St. Louis, MO FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N96033 |
| NTSB Number | CHI03LA091 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Aviat |
| Aircraft Model | A-1 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 1127 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1800 |
| 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 | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jul 22 2002 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 50 |
| Airframe Hours | 630 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | TBF Group LLC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 1541 Dietrich Ridge Drive |
| Aircraft Owner City | Ballwin |
| Aircraft Owner State | MO |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 63021 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | John B. Brnjac |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| 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 | 1HO |
| Departure City | Creve Coeur |
| Departure State | MO |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 945 |
| 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 | May 11 2003 6:42PM |
| User who most recently changed record | SULP |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 12R |
| Runway Length | 6997 |
| Runway Width | 100 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |