Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Downing, Missouri 63536
Friday, October 29, 2004 20:40 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The airplane piloted by an instrument rated private pilot, was destroyed on impact with terrain and post impact fire. The pilot and two passengers were fatally injured. The pilot established radio communications with the air traffic controller on duty at an Air Route Traffic Control Center's radar position about 2027. The controller gave the pilot the position's current altimeter setting. The air traffic controller observed the flight enter an area of weather. At about 2036, an air traffic controller advised the pilot that radar contact was lost. The pilot did not respond. No further radio communications were established with the flight. A witness, who was a commercial pilot, stated, "Aircraft spun out of clouds, began recovery, hit the ground, [and] burst of flame immediately." The flight's National Track Analysis Program radar data was plotted on Doppler weather radar base reflectivity depictions. That plotted data showed that the airplane entered an area of weather consistent with level three to level four thunderstorm activity. Surface weather observations showed VFR weather was present. An on-scene examination was performed. A gyro and its housing from a flight instrument were examined. That examination revealed rotational scoring. The turn coordinator was found destroyed. The face from the turn coordinator showed the airplane in a right bank turn. A section of right wing tip was found near a ground scar. The navigation light on that wingtip contained a green media. The left wing was found detached from the fuselage. Control cables were traced. All breaks in control cables were consistent with overload. No airframe or engine pre-impact anomalies were detected.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot not maintaing airplane control during cruise flight. Factors present were night and thunderstorm conditions.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 10/29/2004 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 2040 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | Downing |
| Event State | MISSOURI |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 63536 |
| Event Date Year | 2004 |
| Event Date Month | 10 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 402303N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0922217W |
| Event Location Airport | -- |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | -- |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 2055 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 209 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | IRK |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 966 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 19 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Night |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 10000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 1100 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Few |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 4 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 21 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 18 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 220 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 18 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 29 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.54 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | KIRK 292355Z AUTO 18018G24KT 10SM CLR 22/17 A2951 |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | 3 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 3 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 18580 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA-ACE-ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | Oct 29 2004 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 2130 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 27 2005 6:51AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\JOHB |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Kansas City, MO, FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N55448 |
| NTSB Number | CHI05FA020 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | Ground |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Beech |
| Aircraft Model | A36 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | E-2548 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3650 |
| 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 | 6 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Oct 1 2004 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 657 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Astro Enterprises Inc. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 4020 West 73rd Street |
| Aircraft Owner City | Anderson |
| Aircraft Owner State | IN |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 46011 |
| 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 | SFD |
| Departure City | WINNER |
| Departure State | SD |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1800 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | AID |
| Destination City | ANDERSON |
| Destination State | IN |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Aug 17 2005 12:14PM |
| User who most recently changed record | SULP |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | NA |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |