The sole survivor of a July plane crash in Florida told investigators that the plane bounced on the ground twice before coming to a stop in Palm Bay. She climbed out the back of the plane, but the 65-year-old pilot and his 50-year-old wife perished in the crash.
In a story at floridatoday.com, the report from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said the pilot changed his path to avoid some bad weather. The plane went quiet and he told the control tower that smoke was coming from the engine. The plane was at an altitude of 1,100 feet.
Three people on ATVs were in the vicinity and said the small plane was sputtering on its way down. The plane pitched to the right and crashed in a plume of white smoke, according to the witnesses. The plane hit a paved road and traveled about 115 feet before coming to a stop.
The plane had a parachute system designed to deploy in the event of engine failure. Investigators said the parachute did not deploy.
The report did not give a cause of the fatal plane wreck. It is unfortunate that two people lost their lives, but the survivor escaped with only minor injuries.
Colson Hicks Eidson – Florida attorneys