✈️ What happened
- On March 17, 2026, a small aircraft — an Aero Commander 500B (registration N444CA) — crashed at Spirit of St. Louis Airport.
- The plane was operated by Central Air Southwest.
- The crash occurred around 3:40 a.m., shortly after takeoff.
💥 Sequence of events
- The aircraft took off normally but soon began losing altitude.
- It appears the pilot attempted to return to the airport, possibly due to a problem.
- Witness footage showed the plane flying abnormally (up and down) before descending.
- The aircraft then crashed near the runway and caught fire on impact.
👤 Casualties
- The only person on board, a 65-year-old pilot (Edward Ruhbeck), was killed in the crash.
- No passengers or other crew were present.
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