PILATUS PC-12, WESTPHALIA, MO., SEPT. 14, 2002–The turboprop single, N451ES, was destroyed, and the commercial pilot and only passenger killed, when it crashed at approximately 3:55 p.m. CDT. The Part 91 business flight was on an IFR flight plan and had departed from Lee C. Fine Memorial Airport (AIZ) in Lake Ozark, Mo., 15 min earlier en route to South Bend (Ind.) Regional Airport (SBN).
According to Kansas City Center, the pilot gave no indication of any problem before radio contact was lost. A witness reported hearing the airplane first, then seeing its top profile with the nose pointed straight down. He said the airplane’s altitude was approximately 2,500 ft to 3,000 ft. The witness noted that while still in the nose-down dive, the airplane made a half turn to the left, revealing its right side. He said he heard the engine “screaming loud.” The turboprop single descended below a ridgeline, and a few seconds later he heard the crash.
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