A cargo flight ended in tragedy near the Spirit of St. Louis Airport in Missouri when a pilot attempting to make an emergency return crashed just minutes after takeoff.
The crash happened Tuesday morning, March 17, at the Spirit of St. Louis Airport in Chesterfield, according to local reports. Authorities identified the pilot as Edward Ruhbeck, 65.
Investigators say the plane appeared to run into trouble shortly after leaving the runway. The pilot tried to circle back for an emergency landing — but the aircraft went down a short distance from the runway and caught fire.
In a preliminary statement, the National Transportation Safety Board said an Aero Commander 500-B crashed roughly two minutes after departing at about 12:21 a.m. local time.
One witness, Diana Krazer, told local station KSDK she could tell something was wrong right away.
“I had a gut feeling because it just didn’t look right,” she said, describing the plane’s motion as “a little up and down” instead of steady like a normal flight.
Krazer also said it looked like the pilot knew he was in distress — and was trying to avoid hurting anyone on the ground.
Airport officials echoed that sentiment. Dave Schubert, deputy director of the Spirit of St. Louis Airport, praised the pilot’s actions, saying Ruhbeck did everything he could and managed to bring the aircraft down without additional casualties or damage.
Ruhbeck was reportedly the only person onboard, according to preliminary information from the Federal Aviation Administration.
The aircraft was linked to Central Air Southwest, per local reporting. The company’s President and Director of Operations, Andrew Towner, confirmed they’re working with investigators to determine what caused the crash and asked for privacy for the pilot’s loved ones.
The airport’s largest runway was temporarily closed in the aftermath. The NTSB is investigating, with support from the FAA.
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