Mount Vernon

The instrument-rated pilot departed Springfield, MO, at night on a VFR flight to Mt Vernon, MO. After taking off from runway 20, a right turn was made for a climb to 3,000 feet. Shortly thereafter, tower personnel lost radar contact with the aircraft and notified the FAA regional operation center. The aircraft crashed about 7 miles southwest of the airport. A witness reported seeing an aircraft descend out of low clouds in the area, but did not see the actual crash. An investigation revealed the aircraft crashed on an easterly heading, while at a high rate of speed. Impact occurred in a left wing down, nose low attitude. No preimpact part failure or malfunction of the aircraft was found. Also, no record of a preflight weather briefing was found. The pilot, sole on board, was killed.

The pilot was on the fourth leg of a night cargo flight cruising at approximately 500 feet agl enroute to Mt Vernon, IL, when the aircraft struck some trees and subsequently collided with the ground. The engines and propellers were both torn down and tested and no evidence of malfunction was discovered. The pilot stated he did not recall the crash sequence at all. The pilot was wearing a 'walkman' radio at the time of the accident. He stated it was to help keep him awake, because he had fallen asleep at times in the past while flying night cargo.

The takeoff was attempted from a runway contaminated with snow windrows. During takeoff roll, the twin engine airplane was unstable and the pilot decided to lift off prematurely. The aircraft stalled then collided with a snow bank and crashed in flames. All four occupants were injured, two of them seriously.

The pilot was performing a postal flight from Cleveland to Louisville. En route, he encountered low visibility due to foggy conditions and decided to reduce his altitude to establish a visual contact with the ground. The aircraft impacted trees and crashed in a wooded area. The pilot, sole on board, was killed.