Overview
An airplane was involved in an accident near the Wichita International Raceway in Wichita, Kansas. The aircraft was observed flying at low altitude in the vicinity of the racetrack. It was later found on the guard rail of the racetrack, completely engulfed in flames.
Witness Accounts
One witness reported hearing two blast sounds resembling a shotgun. He and his friends drove to the area where they believed the sound originated and discovered the airplane on the guard rail on fire. Another witness, who was working in his yard just north of the racetrack, reported hearing the sound of a small airplane. He stopped his work and looked for the aircraft, eventually gaining a clear view. According to this witness, the airplane was traveling north-northwest at an altitude between 150 and 200 feet and was descending slightly. The engine speed was described as very high but sounding normal, and the flaps were up. The witness watched the airplane until it disappeared behind some trees. Shortly after losing visual contact, he heard a metallic sound and noticed that all power wires (east and west) were bouncing. He attempted to call 9-1-1 but found the phones were dead and there was no power to his house.
Site Examination
An examination of the accident site revealed damage to a tower support cable pole located atop a 110-foot tall power line support tower. The north side 3/4-inch diameter support cable was found draped through trees northeast of the tower and ran north-northeast to the main wreckage of the airplane. The cable passed through the airplane's empennage and continued onto the racetrack. One broken end of the cable was on the racetrack south of the airplane. The top 8 inches of the airplane's vertical stabilizer and rudder were found 15 feet east of the racetrack beneath the power lines. A 3/4-inch diameter c-shaped indentation ran horizontally along the right side of this piece. An examination of the remainder of the airplane revealed no anomalies.
Additional Information
The owner of the airplane stated that flight instructors had been using the racetrack as a practice strip to set up and practice emergency landings.