OSAGE BEACH, Mo. — A pilot and his daughter, flying across the country in a newly purchased Beech C23, were killed in a crash near Lee C. Fine Memorial Airport on Oct. 22, 2016, and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is attributing the crash to pilot error.

David Hensler and his daughter Sarah had flown the plane from Reno, Nev. through California and then over the Grand Canyon on their cross-country voyage, headed for their home in New Britain, Penn. But they did not have a specific flight plan, according to the NTSB, and intended to enjoy the journey: David had hoped for Sarah to have a relaxing time and wanted her to learn to love flying like he did, according to his widow. She also told investigators David was meticulous when it came to procedures, checklists, and safety in flying.

EXCLUSIVE: Photos Of Plane That Crashed At Lake Of The Ozarks State Park

A plane crashed near Lee C. Fine Airport, at Lake of the Ozarks State Park, on Saturday, Oct. 22, killing a father and daughter. The plane crashed deep in the woods of the state park, and emergency personnel on the scene noted extraction would be difficult. The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating.

Photography by LakeExpo.com photographers. All photos under copyright protection.

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The plane landed at Lee C. Fine on Oct. 22, and according to the NTSB report, the fixed base operator there said David never taxied to the ramp and he was unable to communicate clearly with David on the common traffic advisory frequency. The employee reportedly waited to see if the pilot would taxi in, but instead, he said, David took off on Runway 4, and the takeoff sounded normal to him.

Investigators said that while David would have been starting to run low on fuel, they don’t think that’s the reason the plane crashed: fuel was found in the carburetor bowl and fuel pump. Instead, they pointed to the fact that the wing flaps were fully extended—the position they should be in for landing—when the wreckage was investigated. “For takeoff, the airplane’s flaps should have been in the fully retracted position, and the extended flaps would have added a significant amount of drag and degraded the airplane’s climb performance,” the NTSB wrote in its final report of the incident. “It is likely that the pilot forgot to retract the flaps after landing at [Lee C. Fine] and attempted to take off with them extended.”

The NTSB therefore concluded David must have lost control after taking off, and then crashed into the woods.

Mountain bikers found the wrecked plane about 1,000 feet east of the departure end of Runway 4, in a heavily wooded area of Lake of the Ozarks State Park, according to the NTSB.

Another plane crash in 2015 landed a Beechcraft B19 in the water at Lake of the Ozarks, near Public Beach #2, and the pilot managed to save his two passengers: his mother and daughter. Read more about that harrowing event and view photos below...

Recovery Of Plane From Lake Of The Ozarks

A plane crashed into the Lake of the Ozarks on Wednesday afternoon near Pa He Tsi/Public Beach #2.

According to Osage Beach Fire Protection District Chief Jeff Dorhauer, there were three people aboard when the plane plunged into the water around 12:30 p.m. on March 11. All three survived, and received medical treatment for their injuries.

Photos by Nathan Bechtold

All photos under copyright protection! To purchase digital photos, e-mail ID number to lakeexpo@yahoo.com

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