One year after the death of former Missouri Governor Mel Carnahan in the crash of a Cessna 335, the NTSB released factual information in the continuing investigation. His son, Roger “Randy” Carnahan, who was flying the light twin, reported problems with his primary attitude indicator just five minutes after departure from St. Louis Downtown Airport (CPS). An ATC controller worked with him for the next 30 min but sensed no urgency until the pilot’s final transmissions. Ultimately, the airplane crashed, killing all three aboard, 10 mi northwest of Hillsboro, Mo.
Randy Carnahan called for an initial briefing for the flight from CPS to New Madrid (Mo.) airport (EIW) at 1609 CDT. According to the factual report, the St. Louis AFSS briefer told Carnahan of a low pressure system over southern Missouri, with a cold front to the southwest and a stationary front to the east. Airmet Sierra, update seven, was in effect for IFR across the region. METARs in the surrounding region showed broken to overcast layers between 600 ft and 2,500 ft; visibilities from two to five miles; and dew-point spreads between zero and three degrees. Surface winds across the route of flight were out of the northeast around 10 kt with some higher gusts. The crash occurred a half hour past the end of twilight.
