What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) The mishap flight departed memphis, TN enroute to the spirit of st. louis airport, (ksus), chesterfield, MO on an IFR flight plan. Prior to departing memphis the mishap pilot asked the line service person to put 10 gallons of fuel in his aircraft, 5 gallons per side. The line service person stated that he could see the bottom of both tanks and questioned the pilot as to whether or not he was sure he only wanted 5 gallons per side. The pilot stated yes. Approximately 10 miles south of the st. louis downtown parks airport, (kcps), cahokia, IL the aircraft's engine began running rough and the pilot asked for immediate vectors to the closest airport. Air traffic control vectored him to the Columbia, IL airport, sackman field, (KH49). Once over the airport, the pilot overflew the runway, failed to properly align the aircraft with the furrows, and upon landing, flipped the aircraft over on its back. The weather at the time of the accident was VMC with approx. 3 miles visibility and 1500 overcast, rain and gusty winds. Once the aircraft was placed on its landing gear, a total of approx. 23 ounces of fuel were removed from the tanks which were intact and sealed tight. No mechanical problems could be identified.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THE MISHAP FLIGHT DEPARTED MEMPHIS, TN ENROUTE TO THE SPIRIT OF ST. LOUIS AIRPORT, (KSUS), CHESTERFIELD, MO ON AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN. PRIOR TO DEPARTING MEMPHIS THE MISHAP PILOT ASKED THE LINE SERVICE PERSON TO PUT 10 GALLONS OF FUEL IN HIS AIRCRAFT, 5 GALLONS PER SIDE. THE LINE SERVICE PERSON STATED THAT HE COULD SEE THE BOTTOM OF BOTH TANKS AND QUESTIONED THE PILOT AS TO WHETHER OR NOT HE WAS SURE HE ONLY WANTED 5 GALLONS PER SIDE. THE PILOT STATED YES. APPROXIMATELY 10 MILES SOUTH OF THE ST. LOUIS DOWNTOWN PARKS AIRPORT, (KCPS), CAHOKIA, IL THE AIRCRAFT'S ENGINE BEGAN RUNNING ROUGH AND THE PILOT ASKED FOR IMMEDIATE VECTORS TO THE CLOSEST AIRPORT. AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL VECTORED HIM TO THE COLUMBIA, IL AIRPORT, SACKMAN FIELD, (KH49). ONCE OVER THE AIRPORT, THE PILOT OVERFLEW THE RUNWAY, FAILED TO PROPERLY ALIGN THE AIRCRAFT WITH THE FURROWS, AND UPON LANDING, FLIPPED THE AIRCRAFT OVER ON ITS BACK. THE WEATHER AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WAS VMC WITH APPROX. 3 MILES VISIBILITY AND 1500 OVERCAST, RAIN AND GUSTY WINDS. ONCE THE AIRCRAFT WAS PLACED ON ITS LANDING GEAR, A TOTAL OF APPROX. 23 OUNCES OF FUEL WERE REMOVED FROM THE TANKS WHICH WERE INTACT AND SEALED TIGHT. NO MECHANICAL PROBLEMS COULD BE IDENTIFIED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.