What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On Sunday June 14, 2015 at 07:46 CDT, a 1979 Piper saratoga PA-32-300, N2966X was destroyed upon impacting the ground near Cuba, MO. The aircraft had departed the branson west airport (kfwb) on an IFR flight plan to creve couer airport (1H0) when it entered an area of convective activity and suffered an in-flight break up. The pilot-in-command and one dog were fatally injured. Several eyewitnesses reported the aircraft leaving the clouds in a near vertical attitude, debris in trail, followed by a loud crash sound. FAA and NTSB investigators arrived on scene to find a main crash site which revealed a high angle, high velocity impact after penetrating a canopy of trees. A secondary crash site was located approximately 1600 feet northwest containing the left wing, horizontal stabilizer, and other aircraft parts, indicating these components separated from the aircraft prior to its impact with the ground. The pilot was in radar and radio contact with the Kansas city air route traffic control center (zkc ARTCC) a review of the audio recording revealed the pilot received a warning about moderate to heavy areas of precipitation along the route of flight. The pilot was in cruise flight at 5,000 feet MSL and acknowledged the weather in the area. At 07:45 CDT he stated he observed weather on his stormscope and added he was "getting no bumps, just precipitation." At 07:46 CDT the ARTCC lost radar contact with the aircraft and was unable to make radio contact. Radar and weather data obtained by the NTSB revealed the aircraft lost radar contact in an area between two thunderstorm cells containing areas of heavy precipitation. Pilot logbook found at the accident scene revealed the pilot was legal to fly as pilot-in-command in instrument flight conditions. Aircraft logbooks were not located. However, the aircraft mechanic provided investigators the most recent annual inspection logbook entry dated October 9, 2014 which revealed the aircraft was in an airworthy condition at the time.
As the FAA filed it
ON SUNDAY JUNE 14, 2015 AT 07:46 CDT, A 1979 PIPER SARATOGA PA-32-300, N2966X WAS DESTROYED UPON IMPACTING THE GROUND NEAR CUBA, MO. THE AIRCRAFT HAD DEPARTED THE BRANSON WEST AIRPORT (KFWB) ON AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN TO CREVE COUER AIRPORT (1H0) WHEN IT ENTERED AN AREA OF CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY AND SUFFERED AN IN-FLIGHT BREAK UP. THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND AND ONE DOG WERE FATALLY INJURED. SEVERAL EYEWITNESSES REPORTED THE AIRCRAFT LEAVING THE CLOUDS IN A NEAR VERTICAL ATTITUDE, DEBRIS IN TRAIL, FOLLOWED BY A LOUD CRASH SOUND. FAA AND NTSB INVESTIGATORS ARRIVED ON SCENE TO FIND A MAIN CRASH SITE WHICH REVEALED A HIGH ANGLE, HIGH VELOCITY IMPACT AFTER PENETRATING A CANOPY OF TREES. A SECONDARY CRASH SITE WAS LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 1600 FEET NORTHWEST CONTAINING THE LEFT WING, HORIZONTAL STABILIZER, AND OTHER AIRCRAFT PARTS, INDICATING THESE COMPONENTS SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT PRIOR TO ITS IMPACT WITH THE GROUND. THE PILOT WAS IN RADAR AND RADIO CONTACT WITH THE KANSAS CITY AIR ROUTE TRAFFIC CONTROL CENTER (ZKC ARTCC) A REVIEW OF THE AUDIO RECORDING REVEALED THE PILOT RECEIVED A WARNING ABOUT MODERATE TO HEAVY AREAS OF PRECIPITATION ALONG THE ROUTE OF FLIGHT. THE PILOT WAS IN CRUISE FLIGHT AT 5,000 FEET MSL AND ACKNOWLEDGED THE WEATHER IN THE AREA. AT 07:45 CDT HE STATED HE OBSERVED WEATHER ON HIS STORMSCOPE AND ADDED HE WAS "GETTING NO BUMPS, JUST PRECIPITATION." AT 07:46 CDT THE ARTCC LOST RADAR CONTACT WITH THE AIRCRAFT AND WAS UNABLE TO MAKE RADIO CONTACT. RADAR AND WEATHER DATA OBTAINED BY THE NTSB REVEALED THE AIRCRAFT LOST RADAR CONTACT IN AN AREA BETWEEN TWO THUNDERSTORM CELLS CONTAINING AREAS OF HEAVY PRECIPITATION. PILOT LOGBOOK FOUND AT THE ACCIDENT SCENE REVEALED THE PILOT WAS LEGAL TO FLY AS PILOT-IN-COMMAND IN INSTRUMENT FLIGHT CONDITIONS. AIRCRAFT LOGBOOKS WERE NOT LOCATED. HOWEVER, THE AIRCRAFT MECHANIC PROVIDED INVESTIGATORS THE MOST RECENT ANNUAL INSPECTION LOGBOOK ENTRY DATED OCTOBER 9, 2014 WHICH REVEALED THE AIRCRAFT WAS IN AN AIRWORTHY CONDITION AT THE TIME.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.