What happened
On the morning of the accident, a cargo flight operated by Baron Aviation Services Incorporated departed Wichita Mid-Continent Airport (ICT) for Garden City Regional Airport (GCLE). The flight, which was being conducted under 14 CFR Part 135, was flying an instrument flight plan under visual meteorological conditions. Approximately four and a half minutes after takeoff, the aircraft began a 180-degree turn back toward the departure airport.
At 07:42:13, the pilot reported that the aircraft had suffered a loss of engine power. Following this transmission, the pilot inquired about alternative landing sites as the aircraft was unable to return to ICT. Air traffic control provided vectors toward a nearby airstrip located roughly 2.5 miles southeast of the aircraft's position. During the descent, the pilot noted that visibility of the suggested airstrip was obscured due to oil contamination on the windshield. At 07:44:57, the pilot communicated an intention to land in a grass field. The aircraft was tracked moving northeast until radar contact was lost at 07:45:15.
An eyewitness observed the aircraft passing overhead with a non-rotating propeller and no engine noise. The aircraft subsequently entered an agricultural field on a northeast heading, where it struck a hedgerow during the landing rollout. The impact caused substantial damage to the aircraft.
Findings
- The pilot, who was the sole occupant of the aircraft, sustained one fatality.
- The aircraft was registered to the Federal Express Corporation.
- The crash occurred during the landing phase of flight following an engine failure.