Porterfield FP-65 accident near Sedalia, Missouri, September 1, 2005
On September 1, 2005, a Porterfield FP-65, registered N37855, was substantially damaged in an accident near Sedalia, Missouri (--- airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain sufficient airspeed and the inadvertent stall/spin resulting in an in-flight loss of control and collision with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 1, 2005
- Place
- Sedalia, Missouri · --- · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Porterfield FP-65 · all FP-65s on the register
- Registration
- N37855 · no longer on the register · serial 1002
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was substantially damaged when the pilot lost control and impacted terrain. According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector assigned to the accident, a witness reported that the airplane rolled upside down and descended to the ground. The wreckage was confined to the immediate area of the impact. The airplane was resting on its nose, with the empennage oriented upward about 60-degrees relative to the terrain. A post accident examination was conducted and no anomalies associated with a pre-impact failure were observed. There was no record of the pilot ever having been issued a pilot or medical certificate. A flight time logbook for the pilot was not located. Maintenance logbooks for the airplane were not located. The FAA forensic toxicology report for the pilot stated that ethanol was detected in blood, vitreous fluid, muscle, brain, and urine samples. Blood ethanol level was measured as 46 mg/dl (0.046 percent), vitreous ethanol level was 44 mg/dl (0.044 percent), and urine ethanol level was 92 mg/dl (0.092 percent). Federal regulations stated that a pilot may not operate an aircraft with a blood alcohol level of 0.04 percent or greater.
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
Pilot
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: frt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 1,200 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Franklin 4AC-176-B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PVT Sedalia MO
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 29.94 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CHI05LA250.