What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
A/c crashed under unkn circumstances near a private airstrip. The 2 POB suffered fatal injuries. The acft was destroyed. (.19) on February 20, 1999, at 2115 central standard time (CST), a Cessna 172C, N1831Y, operated by a commercial pilot, was destroyed when while maneuvering on base leg for landing to the south at Liebau airstrip (45KS), the airplane impacted the terrain. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was being conducted under 14 CFR part 91. There was no flight plan on file. The pilot and passenger on board the airplane sustained fatal injuries. The cross-country flight originated at goodland, Kansas, at 1730 mountain standard time (MST), and was en route to Grenola, Kansas. (-23) the CFR 14 part 91 flight originated at laramie, Wyoming, with a fuel stop at goodland, Kansas. The aircraft took off from goodland at approx. 5:15 pm mountain time, 6:15 central standard time, and arrived near the private air strip at Grenola, Kansas at approx. 9:15PM central standard time. The aircraft crashed approx. 3/4 of a mile northeast of the runway after striking trees. The pilot and passenger sustained fatal injuries. Inspection of the airframe and engine did not reveal any anomalies. Weather reporting from two sources within a 50 nautical mile radius near the time of the accident was six to seven miles visibility, with 1300-1800 feet broken to overcast, and temperature due point spread was 1 to 2% centigrade. The altitude at the Liebau airstrip is approx. 1000 feet. (.4) the pilot's son said he called his father's house/airstrip at 2100 CST. The house-sitter said the airplane had not arrived. The son arrived at the house at 2200 CST, and searched the road in front of the airstrip looking for signs of the airplane. At 2220 CST, he called the elk county, Kansas, sheriff. The sheriff told him that they were receiving an emergency locator transmitter (ELT) signal near the airstrip. Examination of wreckage revealed no anomalies. The pilot autopsy revealed he had 'coronary artery atherosclerosis' with 'up to 95-100 percent narrowing of coronary arteries,' and 'old myocardial infarct of [the] posterior lateral left ventricle.' The sedgwich county, Kansas, deputy coroner/medical examiner, who examined the pilot, said the pilot was a high-risk for arrhythmia. He also said that he found an open ed container of nitroglycerine tablets in the pilot's shirt pocket. The results of FAA toxicology testing of specimens from the pilot revealed moricizine detected in blood and urine. The 52nd edition of the physicians' desk reference (1998), states that moricizine is the metabolite of moricizine hydrochloride. It is an orally-administered class I antiarrhythmic agent with potent local anesthetic activity and myocardial membrane stabilizing effects. It is indicated for the treatment of documented ventricular arrhythmias, such as sustained ventricular tachycardia, that, in the judgement of a physician are life-threatening.
As the FAA filed it
A/C CRASHED UNDER UNKN CIRCUMSTANCES NEAR A PRIVATE AIRSTRIP. THE 2 POB SUFFERED FATAL INJURIES. THE ACFT WAS DESTROYED. (.19) ON FEBRUARY 20, 1999, AT 2115 CENTRAL STANDARD TIME (CST), A CESSNA 172C, N1831Y, OPERATED BY A COMMERCIAL PILOT, WAS DESTROYED WHEN WHILE MANEUVERING ON BASE LEG FOR LANDING TO THE SOUTH AT LIEBAU AIRSTRIP (45KS), THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED THE TERRAIN. NIGHT VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS BEING CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. THERE WAS NO FLIGHT PLAN ON FILE. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER ON BOARD THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES. THE CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT GOODLAND, KANSAS, AT 1730 MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME (MST), AND WAS EN ROUTE TO GRENOLA, KANSAS. (-23) THE CFR 14 PART 91 FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT LARAMIE, WYOMING, WITH A FUEL STOP AT GOODLAND, KANSAS. THE AIRCRAFT TOOK OFF FROM GOODLAND AT APPROX. 5:15 PM MOUNTAIN TIME, 6:15 CENTRAL STANDARD TIME, AND ARRIVED NEAR THE PRIVATE AIR STRIP AT GRENOLA, KANSAS AT APPROX. 9:15PM CENTRAL STANDARD TIME. THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED APPROX. 3/4 OF A MILE NORTHEAST OF THE RUNWAY AFTER STRIKING TREES. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES. INSPECTION OF THE AIRFRAME AND ENGINE DID NOT REVEAL ANY ANOMALIES. WEATHER REPORTING FROM TWO SOURCES WITHIN A 50 NAUTICAL MILE RADIUS NEAR THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WAS SIX TO SEVEN MILES VISIBILITY, WITH 1300-1800 FEET BROKEN TO OVERCAST, AND TEMPERATURE DUE POINT SPREAD WAS 1 TO 2% CENTIGRADE. THE ALTITUDE AT THE LIEBAU AIRSTRIP IS APPROX. 1000 FEET. (.4) THE PILOT'S SON SAID HE CALLED HIS FATHER'S HOUSE/AIRSTRIP AT 2100 CST. THE HOUSE-SITTER SAID THE AIRPLANE HAD NOT ARRIVED. THE SON ARRIVED AT THE HOUSE AT 2200 CST, AND SEARCHED THE ROAD IN FRONT OF THE AIRSTRIP LOOKING FOR SIGNS OF THE AIRPLANE. AT 2220 CST, HE CALLED THE ELK COUNTY, KANSAS, SHERIFF. THE SHERIFF TOLD HIM THAT THEY WERE RECEIVING AN EMERGENCY LOCATOR TRANSMITTER (ELT) SIGNAL NEAR THE AIRSTRIP. EXAMINATION OF WRECKAGE REVEALED NO ANOMALIES. THE PILOT AUTOPSY REVEALED HE HAD 'CORONARY ARTERY ATHEROSCLEROSIS' WITH 'UP TO 95-100 PERCENT NARROWING OF CORONARY ARTERIES,' AND 'OLD MYOCARDIAL INFARCT OF [THE] POSTERIOR LATERAL LEFT VENTRICLE.' THE SEDGWICH COUNTY, KANSAS, DEPUTY CORONER/MEDICAL EXAMINER, WHO EXAMINED THE PILOT, SAID THE PILOT WAS A HIGH-RISK FOR ARRHYTHMIA. HE ALSO SAID THAT HE FOUND AN OPEN ED CONTAINER OF NITROGLYCERINE TABLETS IN THE PILOT'S SHIRT POCKET. THE RESULTS OF FAA TOXICOLOGY TESTING OF SPECIMENS FROM THE PILOT REVEALED MORICIZINE DETECTED IN BLOOD AND URINE. THE 52ND EDITION OF THE PHYSICIANS' DESK REFERENCE (1998), STATES THAT MORICIZINE IS THE METABOLITE OF MORICIZINE HYDROCHLORIDE. IT IS AN ORALLY-ADMINISTERED CLASS I ANTIARRHYTHMIC AGENT WITH POTENT LOCAL ANESTHETIC ACTIVITY AND MYOCARDIAL MEMBRANE STABILIZING EFFECTS. IT IS INDICATED FOR THE TREATMENT OF DOCUMENTED VENTRICULAR ARRHYTHMIAS, SUCH AS SUSTAINED VENTRICULAR TACHYCARDIA, THAT, IN THE JUDGEMENT OF A PHYSICIAN ARE LIFE-THREATENING.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.