This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed.
https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=N444CA
- History of Flight:
On March 17, 2026, at 0024 local time, an Aero Commander 500B, N444CA, registered to Central Airlines Inc and doing business as Central Air Southwest, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident at Spirit of St. Louis Airport (SUS/KSUS), St Louis, Missouri. The sole pilot onboard was fatally injured. The cross-country Part 135 cargo flight originated from KSUS and was destined to New Century AirCenter (JCI/KIXD), Olathe, Kansas.
According to preliminary automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) data, at 0021:51, the airplane was observed departing runway 26L about 2,700 ft down the 7,486 ft runway when it entered a climbing right turn over the airport to an altitude 600 ft. The groundspeed was sluggish and averaging about 60 knots. At 0022:40, the airplane started a climb to 675 ft which was followed by a descent to 600 ft and another climb, this time to 850 ft, the groundspeed started averaging around 80 knots at this point. At 0023:28, the airplane was at 900 ft and 80 knots groundspeed when it began a descent for runway 26L. At 0023:57, the last ADS-B return was recorded about 0.24 mile from the runway threshold. The airplane was at 500 ft, 60 knots groundspeed, with an average rate of -5300 feet per minute (fpm).
Figure 1: ADS-B exchange data ran through Google Earth
Figure 2: ADS-B exchange data for accident flight.
There were no known witnesses to the accident at the time of this writing.
- Pilot Information:
Unknown.
- Airplane Information:
The airplane, serial number 1458-162, was a high wing, two-engine airplane manufactured in 1964. It was powered by two 300-horsepower Continental Motors IO-520 engines. Each engine drove a metal, three-bladed, variable pitch, Hartzell fullfeathering propeller.
The minimum control speed for this aircraft type, which is the minimum speed at which the airplane is controllable in flight, with sudden failure of one engine and takeoff power on the other engine is 61 knots.
According to the airplane flight manual, the
stall speed in level flight with the wing flaps extended was 59 knots (68 miles per hour).
- Wreckage and Impact Information:
The airplane came to rest upright and was consumed by a post crash fire. The fire spread to both wings and tail.
- Airport Information:
Spirit of St Louis Airport is a public airport located 17 miles west of St Louis, Missouri. The airport field elevation is 463.3 ft. The airport features two runways, runway 8R/26L concrete/grooved in good condition which is 7486 x 150 ft, and runway 8L/26R asphalt/rubberized friction seal coat in good condition which is 5000 x 75 ft.
- Weather:
(1) Brief:
The reported weather at KSUS at 2354 LT, included: Winds 270 at 8 knots, 10 mile visibility, no clouds under 12,000 ft (CLR), temperature -6 °C, dewpoint -13 °C, and an altimeter setting of 30.16 inches of mercury.
The reported weather at KSUS at 0054 LT, included: Winds 280 at 11 knots, 10 mile visibility, no clouds under 12,000 ft (CLR), temperature -6 °C, dewpoint -13 °C, and an altimeter setting of 30.17 inches of mercury.
(2) METARs:
METAR KSUS 170454Z AUTO 27008KT 10SM CLR M06/M13 A3016 RMK AO2 SLP226 T10611133 $
METAR KSUS 170554Z AUTO 28011KT 10SM CLR M06/M13 A3017 RMK AO2 SLP227 T10611133 11039 21061 400111067 55001 $
(3) Area Forecast Discussion:
Area Forecast Discussion...Updated Aviation
National Weather Service Saint Louis MO
1233 AM CDT Tue Mar 17 2026
.KEY MESSAGES...
- Tonight will be the coldest night since the end of February with
lows ranging from the single digits to mid teens.
- Light snow is likely Tuesday night, primarily across northeast
Missouri into west central and south central Illinois.
Accumulations are expected to be less than 1 inch.
- Temperatures warm significantly from Wednesday through the end
of the week with highs expected to be well above normal.
&&
.SHORT TERM... (Through Late Tuesday Night)
Issued at 224 PM CDT Mon Mar 16 2026
Cold air continues to rush into the Mid Mississippi Valley on
northwest flow this afternoon. Winds will gradually diminish
through the evening and overnight hours as low pressure moves
northeast from the Great Lakes through Quebec and a surface ridge
builds into the Midwest. Lows tonight will likely be the coldest
since the February 22-23 time frame. Single digit temperatures are
likely across northeast Missouri into west central Illinois with the
best radiational cooling conditions, especially where snow remains
on the ground. Low to mid teens are likely for the remainder of the
area where winds will remain stronger and some clouds may linger,
particularly across parts of south central Illinois.
The ridge axis moves moves east of the forecast area by early
Tuesday afternoon bringing southerly flow back to our area. This
will begin the warm up for mid-late week. Temperatures rise as much
as 30 degrees to the low to mid 40s in central Missouri where
southerly flow will begin as early as noon. A rebound of around 20
degrees into the low to mid 30s is in store for the rest of the area
by late Tuesday afternoon.
Attention turns to the only significant chance for precip in the
forecast for the next 7 days on Tuesday night. A weak short wave
moves southeast across the Mississippi Valley. Light precipitation
develops in the low level warm advection and moisture convergence
ahead of the wave spreading south east from Iowa across northeast
Missouri and much of Illinois. Forecast soundings suggest the
precip should start out as all snow during the evening and gradually
transition to rain with perhaps a bit of sleet before ending
overnight. Liquid equivalent is less than 0.10 inch across the
board, and in most of the area is less than 0.05, so snowfall
accumulations are expected to be less than 1 inch and mainly
confined to northeast Missouri and west central Illinois. Soundings
show a layer of low level dry air farther south that should eat into
precip totals. Additionally, temperatures will likely stay above
freezing across central, east central, and southeast Missouri into
parts of southwest Illinois, and even rise overnight due to the
strong warm advection.
Carney
&&
.LONG TERM... (Wednesday through Next Monday)
Issued at 224 PM CDT Mon Mar 16 2026
The mid-week warm up still looks on track as the long wave pattern
shifts east. Temperatures Wednesday rise nearly 30 degrees over
Tuesday`s readings as low level flow shifts to the west in the wake
of the clipper. Continued westerly flow and rising heights aloft
lock the warmer temperatures in at least through Saturday.
Temperature IQRs through this period are mostly in the 4-6 degree
range on both the NBM and LREF, which is somewhat unusual with a
pattern shift of this magnitude. However, this lends a good deal of
confidence to the forecast temperatures which rise from the low to
mid 60s on Wednesday up to the 70s on Thursday and mid 70s to around
80 on Friday. The upper pattern becomes less amplified Saturday,
which lends to less predictability for temperatures. Ensemble IQRs
open up to 10+ degrees for highs Saturday afternoon, though it looks
like a warm start to the morning in the 50s and with continued
westerly flow will enable temperatures to rise at least into the 70s
and possibly into the low to mid 80s across parts of central and
southeast Missouri.
The deterministic GFS and ECMWF show a short wave trough rippling
across the Upper Midwest and into the Great Lakes Region Saturday
night into Sunday. The surface reflection of the wave pushes a cold
front through the Mid Mississippi Valley bringing temperatures back
down to near seasonal normals. However, the timing on the frontal
passage is still very uncertain with some solutions pushing it
through early Sunday and others not until late Sunday afternoon or
Sunday night. This is leading to a wide range in possible
temperatures for Sunday with both the LREF and NBM showing high
temperature IQRs of nearly 30 degrees. Monday`s temperatures will
depend on how far the cold high pressure system behind the front
penetrates into the Midwest. Current indications are that it will
just sideswipe us here in the Mid Mississippi Valley. However,
ensemble guidance continues to show a 10+ degree range of
temperatures between the 25th and 75th percentiles on Monday so
confidence remains relatively low.
Carney
&&
.AVIATION... (For the 06z TAFs through 06z Tuesday Night)
Issued at 1232 AM CDT Tue Mar 17 2026
Skies have cleared and winds continue to die off at all terminals
early this morning. A quick-moving clipper system passes over the
region tonight with light rain/snow possible, mainly around KUIN.
Surface to mid-levels become increasingly dry southwest of KUIN,
including central Missouri/metro terminals. The lack of moisture
and quick pace of this system may not provide much opportunity to
overcome the dry layer. Therefore, the only mention of -SN is at
KUIN. Even in this instance cloud bases remain VFR with MVFR
skimming northeast of KUIN through central Illinois.
- Additional Information:
No
