What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilots fiancÉ (the witness) stated the C-150 attempted to land at Festus airport (kfes) at Festus, Missouri at approximately 2218 CDT on September 20, 2018. Before the aircraft made their last fuel stop, they sent a text to the witness stating they had a ?small electrical problem?. Later text?s received by the witness indicated that their handheld radio might not have enough battery to turn on the runway lights. The witness was asked by text message to stand at the north end of the runway with flashlights to help guide the aircraft to the runway. The aircraft failed the landing attempt, and proceeded to go around. The witness stated that the aircraft did not have any exterior lights illuminated. The witness received a text message to ?keep the light on?. No further contact came from the aircraft after the last text message received at approximately 22:18 CDT September 20, 2018. The aircraft failed to return for any further landing attempts.
According to federal aviation administration (FAA) notices to airman (NOTAMS), there were no failures or malfunctions of the airport lighting system listed. The airport manager corroborated this evidence.
The 6823 hour 56 year old (ATP) airline transport pilot in the left seat and his 20 year old son in the right seat both sustained fatal injuries.
Pilot?s logbook entries, indicated 3 daylight takeoffs and landings in a single engine land aircraft within the last 90 days. Logbook entries did not have recorded the night single engine currency requirements as required by 14 CFR 61.57 (b) (I) (ii). Records from the pilots employer indicated the pilot had just completed multiengine jet recurrent training on August 24, 2018.
The pilot held a current FAA second class physical. Among the pilot?s personal belongings a privacy data omittedwas found. This was reported during his last physical.
The aircraft was found approximately 1100 feet southeast of the south edge of runway 19. It had descended through numerous large tree limbs onto a wooded low lying swampy area on the edge of a creek. Tree limb breakage pattern indicated the aircraft was descending in a northerly direction. The aircraft was destroyed from the impacts. All major components of the aircraft were located together.
Propeller damage indicated very low or no power on impact.
Control cable continuity was established from the flight controls to the control surfaces. Control surfaces were unable to be moved due to impact damage to the airframe. No pre impact failure of the controls could be established from our investigation.
The fuel selector valve was in the ?on? Position. Both wing fuel tanks were intact and showed no indication of leakage or rupture. Fuel caps were secure with no indication of fuel siphoning noted. 2.25 gallons of residual fuel was drained in total from both wings. Unusable fuel is published as 3.5 gallons for this aircraft. The carburetor contained very little fuel inside the bowl. There was no observable fuel in the fuel line from the fuel gascolator bowl to the carburetor. The fuel gascolator bowl contained some minor debris. The screen was not clogged.
The fuses and circuit breakers showed no signs of failure other than impact damage. Two different hydrometers tests indicated the battery was drained. A bench test of the battery indicated a voltage of 3.529 volts. A third party resource bench tested the alternator which passed and the regulator which failed. The master switch, and navigation light, beacon light, pitot heat, and landing light switches were found in the off position.
The aircraft and engine logbooks indicated an annual inspection was completed August 10, 2018.
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOTS FIANCÉ (THE WITNESS) STATED THE C-150 ATTEMPTED TO LAND AT FESTUS AIRPORT (KFES) AT FESTUS, MISSOURI AT APPROXIMATELY 2218 CDT ON SEPTEMBER 20, 2018. BEFORE THE AIRCRAFT MADE THEIR LAST FUEL STOP, THEY SENT A TEXT TO THE WITNESS STATING THEY HAD A ?SMALL ELECTRICAL PROBLEM?. LATER TEXT?S RECEIVED BY THE WITNESS INDICATED THAT THEIR HANDHELD RADIO MIGHT NOT HAVE ENOUGH BATTERY TO TURN ON THE RUNWAY LIGHTS. THE WITNESS WAS ASKED BY TEXT MESSAGE TO STAND AT THE NORTH END OF THE RUNWAY WITH FLASHLIGHTS TO HELP GUIDE THE AIRCRAFT TO THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT FAILED THE LANDING ATTEMPT, AND PROCEEDED TO GO AROUND. THE WITNESS STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT HAVE ANY EXTERIOR LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE WITNESS RECEIVED A TEXT MESSAGE TO ?KEEP THE LIGHT ON?. NO FURTHER CONTACT CAME FROM THE AIRCRAFT AFTER THE LAST TEXT MESSAGE RECEIVED AT APPROXIMATELY 22:18 CDT SEPTEMBER 20, 2018. THE AIRCRAFT FAILED TO RETURN FOR ANY FURTHER LANDING ATTEMPTS.
ACCORDING TO FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA) NOTICES TO AIRMAN (NOTAMS), THERE WERE NO FAILURES OR MALFUNCTIONS OF THE AIRPORT LIGHTING SYSTEM LISTED. THE AIRPORT MANAGER CORROBORATED THIS EVIDENCE.
THE 6823 HOUR 56 YEAR OLD (ATP) AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOT IN THE LEFT SEAT AND HIS 20 YEAR OLD SON IN THE RIGHT SEAT BOTH SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES.
PILOT?S LOGBOOK ENTRIES, INDICATED 3 DAYLIGHT TAKEOFFS AND LANDINGS IN A SINGLE ENGINE LAND AIRCRAFT WITHIN THE LAST 90 DAYS. LOGBOOK ENTRIES DID NOT HAVE RECORDED THE NIGHT SINGLE ENGINE CURRENCY REQUIREMENTS AS REQUIRED BY 14 CFR 61.57 (B) (I) (II). RECORDS FROM THE PILOTS EMPLOYER INDICATED THE PILOT HAD JUST COMPLETED MULTIENGINE JET RECURRENT TRAINING ON AUGUST 24, 2018.
THE PILOT HELD A CURRENT FAA SECOND CLASS PHYSICAL. AMONG THE PILOT?S PERSONAL BELONGINGS A ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^WAS FOUND. THIS WAS REPORTED DURING HIS LAST PHYSICAL.
THE AIRCRAFT WAS FOUND APPROXIMATELY 1100 FEET SOUTHEAST OF THE SOUTH EDGE OF RUNWAY 19. IT HAD DESCENDED THROUGH NUMEROUS LARGE TREE LIMBS ONTO A WOODED LOW LYING SWAMPY AREA ON THE EDGE OF A CREEK. TREE LIMB BREAKAGE PATTERN INDICATED THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESCENDING IN A NORTHERLY DIRECTION. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED FROM THE IMPACTS. ALL MAJOR COMPONENTS OF THE AIRCRAFT WERE LOCATED TOGETHER.
PROPELLER DAMAGE INDICATED VERY LOW OR NO POWER ON IMPACT.
CONTROL CABLE CONTINUITY WAS ESTABLISHED FROM THE FLIGHT CONTROLS TO THE CONTROL SURFACES. CONTROL SURFACES WERE UNABLE TO BE MOVED DUE TO IMPACT DAMAGE TO THE AIRFRAME. NO PRE IMPACT FAILURE OF THE CONTROLS COULD BE ESTABLISHED FROM OUR INVESTIGATION.
THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE WAS IN THE ?ON? POSITION. BOTH WING FUEL TANKS WERE INTACT AND SHOWED NO INDICATION OF LEAKAGE OR RUPTURE. FUEL CAPS WERE SECURE WITH NO INDICATION OF FUEL SIPHONING NOTED. 2.25 GALLONS OF RESIDUAL FUEL WAS DRAINED IN TOTAL FROM BOTH WINGS. UNUSABLE FUEL IS PUBLISHED AS 3.5 GALLONS FOR THIS AIRCRAFT. THE CARBURETOR CONTAINED VERY LITTLE FUEL INSIDE THE BOWL. THERE WAS NO OBSERVABLE FUEL IN THE FUEL LINE FROM THE FUEL GASCOLATOR BOWL TO THE CARBURETOR. THE FUEL GASCOLATOR BOWL CONTAINED SOME MINOR DEBRIS. THE SCREEN WAS NOT CLOGGED.
THE FUSES AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS SHOWED NO SIGNS OF FAILURE OTHER THAN IMPACT DAMAGE. TWO DIFFERENT HYDROMETERS TESTS INDICATED THE BATTERY WAS DRAINED. A BENCH TEST OF THE BATTERY INDICATED A VOLTAGE OF 3.529 VOLTS. A THIRD PARTY RESOURCE BENCH TESTED THE ALTERNATOR WHICH PASSED AND THE REGULATOR WHICH FAILED. THE MASTER SWITCH, AND NAVIGATION LIGHT, BEACON LIGHT, PITOT HEAT, AND LANDING LIGHT SWITCHES WERE FOUND IN THE OFF POSITION.
THE AIRCRAFT AND ENGINE LOGBOOKS INDICATED AN ANNUAL INSPECTION WAS COMPLETED AUGUST 10, 2018.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.