NTSB preliminary report: Plane that crashed in Boone County fell from 16,000 feet above sea level

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A plane that crashed near Hartsburg on April 16 reached about 16,000 feet above sea level before it fell, according to a preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board.

The victim in the crash was Wade Bates, 58, of Arkansas, died in the crash, according to previous reporting . According to Federal Aviation Administration records, Bates has held a commercial pilot license since Sept. 21, 2020. His license states he resided in West Fork, Arkansas.

The preliminary report that was released on Friday states that the plane departed from Dane County Regional Airport in Madison, Wisconsin, with an intended destination of Smith Field Airport in Siloam Springs, Arkansas. The plane left Madison at 9:51 a.m., according to the report. The NTSB was able to review flight track data.

The plane was expected to fly a direct line to Siloam Springs and reached an altitude of about 16,000 feet mean sea level, the report states. The report states the plane stayed on that altitude until 11:49 a.m., when it turned left to a south-by-southeast direction and then made a right turn to the south.

“The airplane continued south until 1204 (p.m.) when it entered a descending left turn. At the end of the data, the airplane was heading north and had descended to about 9,400 ft msl. The calculated descent rate during the final portion of the turn was more than 16,000 ft per minute,” the report reads.

The report notes that a weather advisory was in the area that warned of thunderstorms, hail, tornadoes and wind gusts.

The fuselage, or main body of the plane, was found upright after hitting tree branches, according to the report. “The tail surfaces and both outboard wings had separated from the airplane,” the report states.

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