NTSB Confirms Some New Bedford Lights Were Out as Plane Crashed

A federal report on the Feb. 2 plane crash in Massachusetts that killed Lehigh Valley attorney Peter J. Karoly, his wife and an employee confirms that some lighting at the destination airport was out of service and pilots had been advised.

The report, released Tuesday by the National Transportation Safety Board, also says one of the pilots in the single-engine Socata TBM 700 reported to air traffic controllers that the small plane missed its approach to New Bedford Regional Airport, about 60 miles south of Boston.

The plane descended to 300 feet during its initial landing attempt, then made a climbing left turn to 1,000 feet, when radar contact was lost, the report says.

The NTSB findings don't reveal who was flying the plane, but both Karoly and employee Michael Milot had valid pilot's credentials. The findings also don't say what caused the plane to crash in woods one mile west of the airport.

After reviewing the report, South Whitehall Township attorney John P. Karoly said it backs up his claims that poor lighting was a factor in the crash that killed his brother.

"Would it have enhanced their safety and could we have avoided this tragedy?" he asked. "The answer is yes."

Karoly said he knows of more than a dozen complaints about the approach lights filed before the crash by pilots entering New Bedford Airport. Late last week, some of the lights that illuminate the center line of the runway were restored, Federal Aviation Administration officials said. Other lights on the edges of the runway are still out.

Earlier this month, the city of New Bedford asked the FAA to turn the lights on. They had been off since August because overgrown brush obscured them. New Bedford officials had crews clearing an area around the auxiliary lights last week.

The weather a minute before the crash included an overcast ceiling of 200 feet with one mile of visibility in light rain and mist, the NTSB report says. Instrument Flight Rules are triggered when the ceiling is less than 1,000 feet or visibility is less than three miles.

Peter Karoly, 53, of Bethlehem, his wife, Dr. Lauren Angstadt, and Milot, 23, of Heidelberg Township left Lehigh Valley International Airport about 2 p.m. on Feb. 2. They flew to Boston and left at 7:17 p.m. for New Bedford to meet one of Karoly's clients for dinner. The crash was reported about 7:40 p.m.

Karoly, a malpractice attorney and former minor league baseball team owner, and his 54-year-old wife, a dentist, were well-known in the civic and business communities. Milot was a pilot and certified flying instructor who worked full time for Karoly.

NTSB officials said it will take six months to a year to complete their investigation. FAA officials said they could not comment on the safety board's report.

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