N701PTPiper PA-31T1 · 1984

On June 25, 2009, approximately 1245 central daylight time, a Piper PA-31T1 (Cheyenne I), N701PT, piloted by a private pilot, was substantially damaged when it overran runway 16 (4,500 feet by 75 feet, dry concrete) at the Creve Coeur Airport (1H0), near St. Louis, Missouri. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was operating under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 without a flight plan. The pilot and his passenger were not injured. The flight departed from the Spirit of St. Louis Airport (KSUS), near St. Louis, Missouri, at approximately 1230.

According to the pilot, the purpose of the flight was to reposition the airplane to 1H0 for scheduled maintenance to be performed. The local area flight, from KSUS to 1H0, reportedly took 5-10 minutes to enter the traffic pattern at the destination airport. As the pilot prepared to enter the traffic pattern for runway 34, the passenger told him that runway 16 had been the active runway earlier in the day. The pilot subsequently changed the airplane’s flight path to enter a downwind leg for runway 16. While on downwind, approximately abeam the runway 16 identifier markings, he reportedly lowered the landing gear and extended the flaps to 3/4 travel. The pilot stated that his final approach was “high and fast” and that the airplane touched down with excessive airspeed halfway down the runway. To reduce the landing roll distance, he retracted the flaps and attempted to set the propellers into reverse thrust. He noted that he was unable to lift the power levers out of the flight idle position and into reverse thrust. The airplane then overran the end of the runway, and came to rest in a cornfield approximately 434 feet from the departure threshold. The landing gear collapsed aft during the landing attempt, which resulted in substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage primary structure. The right engine was torn from its fuselage structural mounts.

Witness accounts indicated that the airplane initially touched down about halfway down the runway at a higher than normal landing speed. One witness reported that the airplane bounced after touchdown, damaging the left main and nose landing gear. He noted that the left main landing gear was broken and bent aft, and the nose landing gear was dangling below the airframe. The airplane then touched down a second time, approximately where the runway 34 identifier markings were painted on the runway.

A post-accident examination of the airplane was performed by Federal Aviation Administration inspectors. The main landing gear was found in a fully extended position, but was displaced aft and up. No ground damage was noted on either main landing gear doors, both of which were found in a closed position. The nose landing gear doors were open and the nose landing gear was found extended, but displaced aft. Flight control continuity was established from the individual flight control surfaces to their respective cockpit controls. Mechanical continuity was also confirmed from the cockpit power levers and propeller controls to their respective components. No pre-impact anomalies were identified that would have precluded the normal operation of the airplane.

The nearest weather reporting station was located at Lambert-St Louis International Airport (KSTL) about 7 miles east of the accident site. The airport was equipped with an Automated Surface Observing System (ASOS). At 1251, the following weather conditions were reported by the KSTL ASOS: wind 250 degrees at 7 knots; visibility 9 miles; few clouds 3,600 feet above ground level (agl), scattered clouds at 12,000 feet agl, and scattered clouds at 20,000 feet agl; temperature 34 degrees Celsius; dew point 23 degrees Celsius; altimeter setting 29.90 inches of mercury.

According to the pilot, the airplane’s landing weight was about 7,000 pounds at the time of the accident. Based on the available airport and weather information, the airplane’s pilot operating handbook indicated that the required landing distance on a level hard-surfaced runway, without a headwind and without propeller reversing capability, was about 1,400 feet. The required landing distance with propeller reversing capability was about 825 feet.