‘Inflight structural failure’ not found in deadly Indiana plane crash
WASHINGTON (WISH) — No evidence of “an inflight structural failure” was found in the deadly plane crash Sept. 6 near Anderson, the National Transportation Safety Board says in a preliminary report on its investigation.
All four people from Iowa aboard the single-engine plane died in the crash near the Anderson Municipal Airport in Madison County.
The report does not list a probable cause for the crash. That portion of the investigation typically takes from 12-18 months to complete. The NTSB retained the airplane for further examination.
The report says the pilot was preparing to land, then radioed the controller to say he would need to go around.
Witnesses heard the engine “really revving,” then the plane rolled and crashed.
The report says, “A witness, located about one-quarter mile from the accident site, observed the airplane come up above a tree line in a climb. Shortly afterward, the airplane stopped climbing ‘all of a sudden’, rolled to the right, and entered a descent. The engine was loud and sounded like it was ‘really revving;’ adding that it seemed to be wide open.
“A second witness, located about one-eight mile from the accident site, reported hearing the airplane engine ‘revved up’, decreased, and then ‘revved up’ again, before it cutout. He did not hear the sound of the impact with the ground.”
The plane crashed in a cornfield about a mile southeast of a runway at the Anderson airport.
The airplane has a GPS system, but a flight data card was not found at the crash site. A flight recorder found at the crash was sent to the National Transportation Safety Board’s lab.
The Piper Aircraft PA 46-350P airplane had departed from the airport in Fort Dodge, Iowa, and was scheduled to land at the Anderson airport.