- Date
- September 18, 1992, 17:00 local (22:00 UTC)
- Place
- Charleston, MO
- Injuries
- 2 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N199KRRettberg Rans S-7
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 16, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920918037549A
- Case key
- 15204
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot-in-command's poor weather evaluation which resulted in a takeoff into adverse weather conditions and a loss of airplane control.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot had made several stop and go takeoff and landings at the private grass strip. During takeoff to the south, at an altitude of aprx 100 ft, the pilot stated that the airplane started an uncontrollable descent, striking the ground in a near vertical nose down attitude. He stated that the controls were not effective during the descent. The flight controls were examined, and continuity was confirmed. The pilot reported that a squall line was approaching from the west, and believed it was FAR enough away to not be a problem.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N199KR
- Reported as
- Rettberg Rans S-7
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 1088032
- Engine
- Rotax 582, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Oliver Kirkpatrick
- Registered owner
- Oliver Kirkpatrick
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Unknown · September 1, 1992 · 4 hours before
- Airport
- NONE · Plumlee Field, runway 18, 2,500 × 100 ft, grass/turf
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 58
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Unknown, Unknown
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 400 total · 1 in this make and model · 325 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 30° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 12 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,200 ft unknown
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CGI, 25 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.