NTSB: Plane involved in deadly Aug. 4 crash rose above 18,000 feet before descent

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The National Transportation Safety Board revealed in its preliminary report that the plane involved in a fatal crash earlier in August rose above 18,000 feet before its descent.

Just before 6:40 p.m. on Aug. 4, a Piper PA-24-250 airplane was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Bethany, Missouri.

According to the NTSB, the pilot, who also owned the airplane, departed on a personal flight from Peoria International Airport in Peoria, Illinois, to Rapid City Regional Airport in Rapid City, South Dakota.

Preliminary radar data showed the flight climbed to an initial cruise altitude of about 13,000 feet after departure and flew at about 12,500 feet for about 90 minutes.

Later, the plane's altitude increased above 18,000 feet, reaching Class A airspace despite the flight operating without air traffic control clearance or services.

The NTSB said a review of weather data showed the flight then entered convective activity, more commonly known as the rising and sinking of warm, moist air in the atmosphere that creates severe weather.

The plane then descended and hit terrain, after which it was destroyed by impact and a post-crash fire.

A post-accident examination of the airplane revealed that it was not equipped with an installed breathable or portable breathable oxygen system.

The same examination revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have prevented normal airplane operation.

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