What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Mr. Kaplan departed the sikeston airport, sikeston, MO on a return flight to the Spirit of st. Louis airport, chesterfield, MO. At approx. 21:08 local time, he called for landing clearance and was instructed to enter a left base for rwy 26R. He acknowledged the clearance and proceeded to enter the pattern for a landing. Air traffic radar indicates that Mr. Kaplan crossed the approach end of the runway with a groundspeed in excess of 100 KTS. The primary target disappeared from radar and reappeared off the departure end with a groundspeed of 87 knots. During this time, the tower tapes reveal that Mr. Kaplan radioed that he was going around. Radar returns show that the aircraft climbed to approx. 1000 feet while the groundspeed continued to decrease to 81 knots at which time the target disappeared from radar. Post crash analysis revealed that the aircraft's flaps were set to approx. 25 degrees and the aircraft impacted the ground under power and at an approx. angle of 75 degrees nose down. The weather at the time was VMC with 4 miles visibility, mist/fog, calm winds, and a few clouds at 7,500 feet. It was a moonless night and the terrain was featureless with few ground lights.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) MR. KAPLAN DEPARTED THE SIKESTON AIRPORT, SIKESTON, MO ON A RETURN FLIGHT TO THE SPIRIT OF ST. LOUIS AIRPORT, CHESTERFIELD, MO. AT APPROX. 21:08 LOCAL TIME, HE CALLED FOR LANDING CLEARANCE AND WAS INSTRUCTED TO ENTER A LEFT BASE FOR RWY 26R. HE ACKNOWLEDGED THE CLEARANCE AND PROCEEDED TO ENTER THE PATTERN FOR A LANDING. AIR TRAFFIC RADAR INDICATES THAT MR. KAPLAN CROSSED THE APPROACH END OF THE RUNWAY WITH A GROUNDSPEED IN EXCESS OF 100 KTS. THE PRIMARY TARGET DISAPPEARED FROM RADAR AND REAPPEARED OFF THE DEPARTURE END WITH A GROUNDSPEED OF 87 KNOTS. DURING THIS TIME, THE TOWER TAPES REVEAL THAT MR. KAPLAN RADIOED THAT HE WAS GOING AROUND. RADAR RETURNS SHOW THAT THE AIRCRAFT CLIMBED TO APPROX. 1000 FEET WHILE THE GROUNDSPEED CONTINUED TO DECREASE TO 81 KNOTS AT WHICH TIME THE TARGET DISAPPEARED FROM RADAR. POST CRASH ANALYSIS REVEALED THAT THE AIRCRAFT'S FLAPS WERE SET TO APPROX. 25 DEGREES AND THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND UNDER POWER AND AT AN APPROX. ANGLE OF 75 DEGREES NOSE DOWN. THE WEATHER AT THE TIME WAS VMC WITH 4 MILES VISIBILITY, MIST/FOG, CALM WINDS, AND A FEW CLOUDS AT 7,500 FEET. IT WAS A MOONLESS NIGHT AND THE TERRAIN WAS FEATURELESS WITH FEW GROUND LIGHTS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.