NTSB Identification: CHI96FA169.
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Accident occurred Thursday, May 23, 1996 in SAINT CLAIR, MO
Probable Cause Approval Date: 12/23/1996
Aircraft: Beech F33A, registration: N8273G
Injuries: 1 Fatal.
NTSB investigators either traveled in support of this investigation or conducted a significant amount of investigative work without any travel, and used data obtained from various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.A witness reported seeing the airplane circling low overhead in a 'clockwise to rectangular' pattern. The witness observed the airplane turning southerly and descending, when it pitched up 45 degrees, and appeared to have stalled. The airplane then went into a 45 degree dive. The witness said the airplane sounded normal. The local police searched the hanger for signs of a suicide note, because the pilot's wife said he recently had been acting desponded. No such note was found. No mechanical failure/malfunction of the airframe, powerplant, or flight controls were discovered during the investigation.
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
failure of the pilot to maintain adequate airspeed, while maneuvering at low altitude, which resulted in a stall and collision with the terrain. Full narrative availableIndex for May1996 | Index of months