NTSB: Plane That Crashed Was Experimental Aircraft; Seeks Witnesses and Video Footage
Oct. 31—The National Transportation Safety Board asks the public for help in its investigation into a small plane crash that killed two men in Hanover Twp. on Saturday afternoon.
The plane was an experimental aircraft that took off from Wyoming Valley Airport in Forty Fort minutes prior to the accident, NTSB public affairs specialist Sarah Sulick said Sunday.
Shortly before 3 p.m. Saturday, about three minutes after takeoff, the pilot "departed the aircraft" when it was about 750 feet above the ground, Sulick said.
She said she could not confirm whether the pilot attempted to deploy a parachute.
The plane then crashed in a field near Doran's Farm off East St. Mary's Road.
A passenger was found dead in the wreckage of the aircraft. The pilot's body was found at the rear of East St. Mary's Road, Hanover Twp. police Chief David Lewis said Saturday.
Both victims were adult males, Luzerne County Chief Deputy Coroner Joseph Jacobs said Sunday. The coroner's office has confirmed their identities but cannot release their names until next of kin is notified, Jacobs said.
Autopsies are scheduled for Tuesday, he said.
Investigators returned to the scene of the crash on Sunday. A portion of East St. Mary's Road was closed and the public and members of the media were not allowed to access the site.
The wreckage of the plane has been fully recovered and will be analyzed at a facility in Delaware, Sulick said.
Witnesses and video
However, investigators would like to speak with witnesses and review any video surveillance footage that captured the moments leading up the crash, Sulick said.
The crash happened near a hayride attraction at Doran's Farm. No one on the ground was injured.
Also, the site is across the street from the Liberty Hills housing community.
Anyone who witnessed the crash or who has video surveillance footage to share is urged to contact NTSB via email at: [email protected].
Anyone who finds suspected debris that might have fallen from the plane is asked to contact Hanover Twp. police, Sulick said.
Accident reports
A preliminary accident report will be issued in about three weeks, Sulick said. It will include basic factual information about the crash, she said.
A more detailed final report will be released in 12-24 months, Sulick said. The final report will include a probable cause of the crash, she said.
Investigators will speak with witnesses and "gather as many facts as they can," Sulick said.
The investigation will focus on three factors: The pilot, the machine and the airplane environment, she said.
Aircraft details
The plane that crashed was a Bearhawk Patrol, according to the NTSB Twitter feed.
According to aviation websites, the Bearhawk Patrol is a single-engine, two-seat high wing aircraft that was designed to meet homebuilt aircraft category requirements.
The plane's tail markings indicate it was registered to a Berks County man, with an airworthiness date in June 2020. Its airworthiness class is listed as "experimental."
Contact the writer:
[email protected], 570-821-2117
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