Fatal Piper PA-18-135 Collision During Takeoff Roll in Missouri (N1198C)

Accident Overview and Flight Details On October 31, 2009, at 1159 central daylight time, a Piper PA-18-135, N1198C, was destroyed by post-impact fire after colliding with a metal carport-type structure during the takeoff roll from a private grass airstrip near Sikeston, Missouri. The flight, conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91, was a personal flight with Cape Girardeau, Missouri, as the destination. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The pilot and a pilot-rated passenger sustained fatal injuries. No witnesses observed the takeoff roll or the impact. One witness reported hearing the engine operating normally before the collision. As the witness approached the burning aircraft, a fuel tank exploded. The witness was able to pull the pilot from the rear seat, but the fire prevented the extraction of the pilot-rated passenger from the front seat.