What happened
On March 4, 2008, at approximately 15:15 CST, a Cessna 500, registration N113SH, departed from the Wiley Post Airport (PWA) in Oklahoma City. The aircraft was traveling under instrument flight rules toward Mankato Regional Airport in Minnesota. Shortly after the departure, roughly two minutes into the flight, the aircraft entered a steep descent and struck the ground.
The aircraft was positioned at the ramp of Interstate Helicopters at the time of departure. The flight was carrying three passengers and two pilots. The impact of the crash and the subsequent fire caused the total destruction of the plane. There were five fatalities recorded, including both pilots and all three passengers.
Findings
Investigation of the event noted that the aircraft was operating under 14 CFR Part 91 regulations. While the flight was intended for a destination in Minnesota, the steep descent occurred almost immediately after takeoff. The weather conditions at the time of the accident were reported as visual meteorological conditions.