Cessna 182 Down On Missouri River Island

Four people were lost Sunday night when a Cessna 182 headed for an unknown destination -- perhaps Sikeston (MO) went down on an island in the Missouri river.

The 182 (file photo of type, above) had just taken off from Spirit of St. Louis Airport in Chesterfield (MO), according FAA spokeswoman Elizabeth Isham Corey.

"It took off, then wanted to come back for whatever reason," Cory told local reporters. But it apparently didn't make it. Witnesses on Howell Island, in the Missouri River, said they heard the aircraft circling the field, then crash and explode on impact.

"It was badly, badly torn up," said Dave Nichols, speaking for Chesterfield's Monarch Fire Protection District. "It hit quite a large tree on its way down."

FAA Preliminary Accident Report

IDENTIFICATION
 Regis#: 843MC    Make/Model: C182   Description: 182, Skylane
 Date: 09/13/2004   Time: 0219

 Event Type: Accident  Highest Injury: Fatal   Mid Air: N  Missing: N
 Damage: Destroyed

LOCATION
 City: CHESTERFIELD        State: MO  Country: US

DESCRIPTION
 ACFT, VFR ON UPWIND FROM A GO-AROUND DISAPPEARED FROM RADAR AND SIGHT AT
 WEST SPIRIT OF ST. LOUIS ARPT. ACFT IS DESTROYED (FIRE IS REPORTED) AND THE
 PILOT IS FATAL. OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES ARE UNKNOWN. CHESTERFIELD, MO

INJURY DATA   Total Fatal:  1
         # Crew:  1  Fat:  1   Ser:  0   Min:  0   Unk: 
         # Pass:   0  Fat:  0   Ser:  0   Min:  0   Unk: 
         # Grnd:       Fat:  0   Ser:  0   Min:  0   Unk: 

WEATHER: SPECI 130226 00000 4BR FEW075 18/17 3005  

OTHER DATA
 Activity: Unknown   Phase: Approach   Operation: General Aviation

 Departed: UNKN            Dep Date:  Dep. Time:  
 Destination: UNKN           Flt Plan: VFR     Wx Briefing: U
 Last Radio Cont: ACK RIGHT TRAFFIC FOR 2GR
 Last Clearance: MAKE RGHT TRAF FOR 2GR.

 FAA FSDO: ST. LOUIS, MO (CE03)         Entry date: 09/13/2004

FMI: www.ntsb.gov