Beech 95-A55 accident near Festus, Missouri, August 7, 2002
On August 7, 2002 at about 3:24 pm local time, a Beech 95-A55, registered N13MS, was destroyed in an accident near Festus, Missouri (Festus Meml airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's lack of recent experience and his failure to maintain adequate airspeed which resulted in a stall and collision with the ground. The pilot's failure to execute a go-around was a factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 7, 2002 · about 3:24 pm local time
- Place
- Festus, Missouri · Festus Meml · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 95-A55 · all 95-A55s on the register
- Registration
- N13MS · registry record · serial TC-399
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was destroyed when it impacted terrain after a loss of control during landing approach. The airplane was in a left hand traffic pattern. According to witnesses, the airplane was on a base leg for landing when the pilot reported that he was too close to land and he would make a right turn and enter the final approach for the runway. The witnesses reported that, during the right turn, the bank angle appeared to be 90 degrees. The airplane subsequently impacted the ground. No preexisting airframe or engine defects were found during the postaccident examination. The pilot's flight instructor stated that the pilot did not fly the airplane enough to stay proficient and that he had a tendency to make steep turns in the traffic pattern. According to logbook records, the pilot had flown 2 hours in the preceding 90 days and had only flown once in the preceding 8 months.
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
Co-pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 235 hours in all; 120 in this make and model
- Last flight review: December 1, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,206 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 15, 2002
- Maximum gross weight: 4,880 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Continental IO-470-L (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Continental IO-470-L (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FES Festus MO at 3:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 2,202 ft by 49 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 060° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.20 inHg
- Observation at 2:54 pm from SUS, 30 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
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.