Beech 58 accident near Defiance, Missouri, January 9, 2022
On January 9, 2022 at about 1:19 am local time, a 1981 Beech 58, registered N585CK, was destroyed in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Defiance, Missouri. It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s loss of airplane control while flying in night instrument conditions due to spatial disorientation and the flight crew’s inability to recover from an unusual airplane attitude.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 9, 2022 · about 1:19 am local time
- Place
- Defiance, Missouri · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Beech 58, built 1981 · all 58s on the register
- Registration
- N585CK · registry record · serial TH-1299
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial pilots departed during night, instrument conditions on a positioning flight. After leveling off at 8,000 ft mean sea level with moderate turbulence conditions likely, the airplane slowly turned left from a west to southeast heading. The airplane continued turning left and entered a rapid descent until terrain impact. The airplane was destroyed when it impacted terrain. Examination revealed no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Although the pilot and copilot were both instrument current, their flying experience predominantly involved visual flight rules operations. The pilot in command (PIC) did not have the required experience to operate as PIC on Part 135 flights and was the PIC of this Part 91 positioning flight to gain experience. Immediately before the accident flight, the pilot communicated to her boyfriend that she had concerns about the flight due to the weather, along with her and the copilot’s instrument flying skills. The pilot likely became spatially disoriented during night instrument conditions that included moderate turbulence. Because of the airplane’s single set of flight instruments and “throwover yoke” control column, which required pulling a T-handle latch on the back of the control arm to change the yoke from one side of the cockpit to the other, the copilot likely wasn’t able to assume control of the airplane. As a result, the copilot wasn’t able to recover control of the airplane from its unusual attitude before impact with terrain.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Loss of control in flight during enroute (cruise) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Light condition › Dark › Contributed to outcome
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Ceiling/visibility/precip › (general) › Contributed to outcome
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Turbulence › (general) › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: unmanned (suas)
- Flight time: 1,274 hours in all; 54 in this make and model; 54 in the last 90 days; 36 in the last 30 days; 1,142 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 17, 2021
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
Co-pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: unmanned (suas)
- Flight time: 7,697 hours in all; 60 in this make and model; 60 in the last 90 days; 45 in the last 30 days; 6,697 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 1, 2021
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 24,040 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, December 9, 2021; 15 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,424 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Continental Motors IO-520-CB41B (piston); 456 hours total
- Engine 2: Continental Motors IO-520-CB41B (piston); 519 hours total
- Operator: Airnet II LLC
The flight
- Departed from: SUS St Louis MO at 1:10 am
- Destination: APA Denver CO
- Flight plan: IFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 190° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 2 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,000 ft
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 29.96 inHg
- Observation at 7:07 pm from KSUS, 11 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KSUS 090107Z 19007KT 2SM BR OVC010 07/06 A2996 RMK AO2 CIG 008V013 T00670056
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
31 documents, released by the NTSB on June 14, 2023. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
Other NTSB records under N585CK the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.