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CEN21LA014

2020-10-10 · Kimberling City, Missouri, United States · Serious · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport MO64

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot’s inadequate preflight inspection, which resulted in his inadvertent departure with the tow bar connected to the nose wheel, and the low approach while returning to the airport, which allowed the tow bar to contact trees.

Factual narrative

The pilot reported that he moved the airplane out of the hangar using a tow bar and his personal vehicle. The pilot added that he did not remove the tow bar from the airplane. The pilot and passenger then departed on a cross-country flight. Witnesses at the airport notified the pilot by radio that the tow bar was still attached. The plot then entered the traffic pattern to land at the airport. During the approach the tow bar, which was hanging from the airplane’s nose wheel, impacted and got entangled in trees. The airplane then impacted ground objects and terrain. A post-crash fire ensued and destroyed the airplane. The pilot added that he did not know why he got so low on the approach to the airport. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • — Personnel issues-Task performance-Inspection-Preflight inspection-Pilot
  • — Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Descent/approach/glide path-Not attained/maintained
  • — Environmental issues-Physical environment-Object/animal/substance-Tree(s)-Contributed to outcome

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2020_CEN21LA014.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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