What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
At approximately 0740 CST, N6629V departed ksus VFR for a flight to kmkc. The weather was clear; however, by the time the airplane was passing by columbia, MO, the cloud ceilings were lowering due to an approaching cold front. A passenger commented after the accident that the PIC continued to fly at a lower altitude to stay below "scud" clouds that were beginning to form beneath the ceiling.
Approximately 15 miles west of Boonville, MO, the PIC decided to reverse course and land at kver. Weather at the airport was reporting an overcast ceiling of 2,400', 10 miles visibility, and wind from 300 degrees at 9 KTS gusting to 14 KTS. Temperature was 13 c and dew point 11 c.
On base to final with 1/2 flaps and landing gear down, the engine began to "sputter" followed by stoppage. The PIC attempted to restart the engine without success. The airplane impacted slightly down-sloping terrain (a barren soy bean field) approximately 1/2 mile south of and on the extended centerline of runway 36. Duration of flight was approximately 1 hour, 20 minutes.
The aiplane came to rest and remained upright at the end of ground marks made by the landing gear that measured 25 feet. The engine remained partially attached to the firewall, and the propeller was detached from the shaft. The airframe remained largely intact with deformation throughout. Occupant injuries were consistent with high vertical loads. There was no post-crash fire, nor evidence of fuel spillage from the four fuel tanks. The fuel selector was determined to be in the "aux" position for the right aux tank.
Post-accident investigation revealed the fuel quantity in the four tanks as follows: lt main - 5 gal
Rt main - 3.5 pints
Lt aux - 17 gal (full)
Rt aux - 11 gal
As the FAA filed it
AT APPROXIMATELY 0740 CST, N6629V DEPARTED KSUS VFR FOR A FLIGHT TO KMKC. THE WEATHER WAS CLEAR; HOWEVER, BY THE TIME THE AIRPLANE WAS PASSING BY COLUMBIA, MO, THE CLOUD CEILINGS WERE LOWERING DUE TO AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT. A PASSENGER COMMENTED AFTER THE ACCIDENT THAT THE PIC CONTINUED TO FLY AT A LOWER ALTITUDE TO STAY BELOW "SCUD" CLOUDS THAT WERE BEGINNING TO FORM BENEATH THE CEILING.
APPROXIMATELY 15 MILES WEST OF BOONVILLE, MO, THE PIC DECIDED TO REVERSE COURSE AND LAND AT KVER. WEATHER AT THE AIRPORT WAS REPORTING AN OVERCAST CEILING OF 2,400', 10 MILES VISIBILITY, AND WIND FROM 300 DEGREES AT 9 KTS GUSTING TO 14 KTS. TEMPERATURE WAS 13 C AND DEW POINT 11 C.
ON BASE TO FINAL WITH 1/2 FLAPS AND LANDING GEAR DOWN, THE ENGINE BEGAN TO "SPUTTER" FOLLOWED BY STOPPAGE. THE PIC ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE ENGINE WITHOUT SUCCESS. THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED SLIGHTLY DOWN-SLOPING TERRAIN (A BARREN SOY BEAN FIELD) APPROXIMATELY 1/2 MILE SOUTH OF AND ON THE EXTENDED CENTERLINE OF RUNWAY 36. DURATION OF FLIGHT WAS APPROXIMATELY 1 HOUR, 20 MINUTES.
THE AIPLANE CAME TO REST AND REMAINED UPRIGHT AT THE END OF GROUND MARKS MADE BY THE LANDING GEAR THAT MEASURED 25 FEET. THE ENGINE REMAINED PARTIALLY ATTACHED TO THE FIREWALL, AND THE PROPELLER WAS DETACHED FROM THE SHAFT. THE AIRFRAME REMAINED LARGELY INTACT WITH DEFORMATION THROUGHOUT. OCCUPANT INJURIES WERE CONSISTENT WITH HIGH VERTICAL LOADS. THERE WAS NO POST-CRASH FIRE, NOR EVIDENCE OF FUEL SPILLAGE FROM THE FOUR FUEL TANKS. THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS DETERMINED TO BE IN THE "AUX" POSITION FOR THE RIGHT AUX TANK.
POST-ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE FUEL QUANTITY IN THE FOUR TANKS AS FOLLOWS: LT MAIN - 5 GAL
RT MAIN - 3.5 PINTS
LT AUX - 17 GAL (FULL)
RT AUX - 11 GAL
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.