Piper PA-28-180 accident near Chesterfield, MO
On March 23, 1994, a Piper PA-28-180 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Chesterfield, MO. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- March 23, 1994
- Place
- Chesterfield, MO
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-180 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 38.650°N, 90.579°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001206X00858
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On March 23, 1994, about 0030 central standard time, a Piper PA- 28-180 airplane, N3365R, was destroyed when it collided with terrain shortly after takeoff from runway 26 left (26L) at the Spirit of St. Louis Airport, Chesterfield, Missouri. The solo private pilot was fatally injured. The 14 CFR Part 91 flight operated in visual meteorological conditions without a flight plan. One witness, a meteorological technician who was working at the weather observation facility located atop the airport's main administration building, reported seeing a small, single engine airplane taxiing from the area of the "T" hangars at what he believed was a faster than normal taxi speed. He watched as the airplane moved down runway 26L, and then looked away for a short time. When he looked again towards runway 26L, he saw an airplane diving vertically towards the runway from an estimated altitude of 300-400 feet (agl). The witness watched as the airplane impacted the northern edge of runway 26. He said the airplane caught fire approximately 30 seconds after impact. Two other witnesses also saw the airplane in a steep, nose-first dive prior to impact. Both those witnesses are pilots, and they both related that the engine sounded like it was developing full power, and that the airplane was not spinning as it descended. PERSONNEL INFORMATION The pilot/owner of N3365R was Mr. Robert L. Schwartz. Mr. Schwartz worked as a Meteorologist/Weathercaster for a local television broadcast station (KSDK). Mr. Schwartz used the broadcast name of Bob Richards. According to the attached Cheste
Probable cause
suicide by the pilot.
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Browse: Missouri · Piper aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
