The National Transportation Safety Board did not travel to the scene of this accident. Additional Participating Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Tampa, Florida Aviation Accident Preliminary Report - National Transportation Safety Board: https://app.ntsb.gov/pdf
Location: St. Petersburg, FL Accident Number: ERA19TA129 Date & Time: 03/13/2019, 1617 EDT Registration: N15VK Aircraft: Beech E55 Injuries: 2 None Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Personal On March 13, 2019, at 1617 eastern daylight time, a Beech E55, N15VK, sustained substantial damage during a gear-up landing at the Albert Whitted Airport (SPG), St. Petersburg, Florida. The commercial pilot and the passenger were not injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight that departed Lakeland Linder International Airport (LAL) akeland, Florida, at 1515. The pilot stated that became distracted and did not extend the landing gear before landing. The airplane slid on the runway resulting in substantial damage to the left wing's rear spar. The propellers and flaps were also damaged. The airplane was equipped with a gear warning aural alert; however, it did not sound for unknown reasons. The pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land and sea, multi-engine land, and instrument airplane. He also held a certified flight instructor certificate with a rating for airplane single-engine land. The pilot's last Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) third-class medical certificate was issued on February 11, 2019. He reported a total of 3,706 hours, of which, 1,217 hours were in multi-engine aircraft. Weather reported at SPG at 1653 included wind from 090° at 11 knots, visibility 10 miles, and clear skies.
Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information Aircraft Make: Beech Registration: N15VK Model/Series: E55 UNDESIGNATED Aircraft Category: Airplane Amateur Built: No Operator: On file Operating Certificate(s) Held: None Meteorological Information and Flight Plan Conditions at Accident Site: Visual Conditions Condition of Light: Day Observation Facility, Elevation: SPG, 6 ft msl Observation Time: 1653 EDT Distance from Accident Site: 0 Nautical Miles Temperature/Dew Point: 27°C / 19°C Lowest Cloud Condition: Clear Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: 11 knots / , 90° Lowest Ceiling: None Visibility: 10 Miles Altimeter Setting: 30.07 inches Hg Type of Flight Plan Filed: None Departure Point: Lakeland, FL (LAL) Destination: St. Petersburg, FL (SPG) Wreckage and Impact Information Crew Injuries: 1 None Aircraft Damage: Substantial Passenger Injuries: 1 None Aircraft Fire: None Ground Injuries: N/A Aircraft Explosion: None Total Injuries: 2 None Latitude, Longitude: 27.000000, -82.000000 (est)
HOURS estimated from logbooks or other information - not guaranteed or warranted AIRCRAFT: 1970 BEECH E-55 N15VK, s/n: TE-805 Last Annual 09/01/18 at Hobbs 3996.6 Hobbs on 03/13/19 4067.5 ENGINES: (2) TCM IO-520-C7B; Last Annual 09/01/18 at Hobbs 3996.6, ETT 980.6 PROPELLERS: Right: McCauley 3AF32C75-NR, s/n: 780382, OH 07/14/11 Left: McCauley 3AF32C75-NR, s/n: 751161 Last Annual Inspection on 09/01/18 EQUIPMENT: Garmin G500 Garmin GTN 750 Garmin GTN 650 Garmin GTN-Integrated GTX3X5 transponder Garmin GTN-Integrated Garmin Audio Panel Garmin GDL 88 Avidyne TAS 600 traffic alert (integrated with Garmin) L3 WX500 Stormscope (integrated with Garmin) Sandia SAI-340 Quattro Standby Instrument S-TEC 55x Autopilot with Autotrim EDM-960 engine management system Alpha Systems Angle of Attack Indicator Artex ME406 ELT Advanced Aero Low Thrust Detection System MidContinent MD93 Digital Clock/USB charger BAS Shoulder Harness (2) GAMI fuel nozzles Vortex Generators DESCRIPTION OF ACCIDENT: Gear up landing that resulted in double prop strike on 03/13/19 at Albert Whitted Airport, St Petersburg, Florida DESCRIPTION OF DAMAGES: The damage includes but may not be limited to: Damage sustained to left wing (substantial), nose skins, and underbelly damaged.
LOCATION OF AIRCRAFT: Sheltair, Albert Whitted Airport, St Petersburg, Florida REMARKS: Insurer reserves the right to reject any and all bids. Salvage is as is/where is. The posting information is the best to our knowledge. An inspection of the aircraft is recommended. Logbooks may not be complete. Read more here: http://www.avclaims.com
The National Transportation Safety Board did not travel to the scene of this accident. Additional Participating Entity: Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Orlando, Florida Aviation Accident Preliminary Report - National Transportation Safety Board: https://app.ntsb.gov/pdf https://registry.faa.gov/N519P Location: Ponte Vedra Beach, FL
Accident Number: ERA19LA126 Date & Time: 03/13/2019, 1755 EDT Registration: N519P Aircraft: Bell OH 58A Injuries: 2 None Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Public Aircraft - Local On March 13, 2019, about 1755 eastern daylight time, a Bell OH-58A, N519P, operated by the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office was substantially damaged during a forced landing after a total loss of engine power in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. The commercial pilot and mission crewmember were not injured. The aerial observation flight departed a designated landing zone at a local golf course at 1750, destined for the Northeast Florida Regional Airport (SGJ), St. Augustine, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the accident site, and a company flight plan was filed for the public-use flight. According to the pilot, the accident occurred on the third flight of the day, and he had performed a preflight inspection prior to each flight. All three flights were part of an aerial surveillance mission over a local golf tournament. The first flight was 90 minutes, and the helicopter was refueled prior to the second flight, which was 30 minutes. The accident flight departed the golf course landing zone with an estimated 340 lbs. of fuel on board. About 5 minutes after takeoff while orbiting at 1,100 ft mean sea level, the helicopter suddenly yawed to the left and the "low rotor" horn sounded. The pilot reduced the collective pitch, the horn silenced, he noticed the "engine out" and "master caution" lights illuminated on the instrument panel, and the engine tachometer showed a decreasing rpm. He performed an autorotation to a fairway on the golf course. During touchdown, the helicopter began to violently shake as it moved forward across the soft ground. As the windscreen began to crack and separate from its frame, the pilot increased collective to reduce the vibration and the helicopter came to a stop. Examination of the wreckage by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed bending and buckling damage to the tail boom and the frame around the windscreen and doors. Fuel was present in the fuel tank and a sample taken from the tank was clear with no water present. No fuel or other fluid leaks were observed. A field examination of the engine by an NTSB investigator revealed that all the accessible fuel line "B" nuts had matching torque stripes and could not be loosened by hand. The engine components rotated freely by hand with no binding, and there were no visible indications of any components overheating. The starter operated normally. When the starter was engaged the first time, no fuel was present at the fuel spray nozzle supply line. After bleeding air from the fuel lines, operating the starter resulted in fuel flow at the spray nozzle. The airframe fuel lines were pressurized with shop air with no leaks detected. The engine was removed and retained for further examination. The helicopter's most recent 100-hour inspection was performed on May 6, 2019, at an airframe total time of 8,209 flight hours. At that time the engine had accrued a total of 6,245 hours since new, and 638 hours since overhaul. Maintenance performed at the time of the inspection included a scheduled replacement of a bleed valve and replacement of an intermittent spark ignitor. The helicopter had flown about 21 hours since that inspection/maintenance. The pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with ratings for rotorcraft-helicopter and airplane single- engine land. At the time of the accident he had accrued a total of 822 hours of flight experience, of which 698 were in the same make and model as the accident helicopter. The 1753 weather conditions reported at the Jacksonville Executive Airport (CRG), located about 10 miles northwest of the accident site included wind from 130° at 7 knots with gusts to 15 knots, few clouds at 5,000 ft above ground level, visibility 10 (statute) miles. Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information Aircraft Make: Bell Registration: N519P Model/Series: OH 58A No Series Aircraft Category: Helicopter Amateur Built: No Operator: St Johns County Sheriffs Office Operating Certificate(s) Held:None Meteorological Information and Flight Plan Conditions at Accident Site: Visual Conditions Condition of Light: Day Observation Facility, Elevation: KCRG, 41 ft msl Observation Time: 1753 EDT Distance from Accident Site: 10 Nautical Miles Temperature/Dew Point: 22°C / 14°C Lowest Cloud Condition: Few / 5000 ft agl Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: 7 knots / 15 knots, 130° Lowest Ceiling: Visibility: 10 Miles Altimeter Setting: 30.19 inches Hg Type of Flight Plan Filed: Company VFR Departure Point: Ponte Vedra Bch, FL Destination: St Augustine, FL (SGJ) Wreckage and Impact Information Crew Injuries: 2 None Aircraft Damage: Substantial Passenger Injuries: N/A Aircraft Fire: None Ground Injuries: N/A Aircraft Explosion: None Total Injuries: 2 None Latitude, Longitude: 30.206111, -81.403333 (est)
The National Transportation Safety Board did not travel to the scene of this accident. Additional Participating Entity: Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Charlotte, North Carolina Aviation Accident Preliminary Report - National Transportation Safety Board: https://app.ntsb.gov/pdf https://registry.faa.gov/N8905X Location: Brevard, NC
Accident Number: ERA19LA131 Date & Time: 03/13/2019, 1810 EDT Registration: N8905X Aircraft: Cessna 182 Injuries: 1 Minor Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Personal On March 13, 2019, about 1810 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 182D, N8905X, was substantially damaged after it impacted terrain during takeoff from Transylvania Community Airport (3NR3), Brevard, North Carolina. The private pilot incurred minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight, which was originating at the time of the accident. The flight was conducted under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. According to the pilot, he completed a preflight inspection with no anomalies noted. When he boarded the airplane, the pilot seat was in its aft most position, since that was how he would typically exit the airplane. The pilot then slid the seat forward until he "could see 3 holes" in the rail, which was his typical seating position. He then "rocked the seat back and forth" to verify it was locked in position, and then proceeded to start the engine, taxi, and perform an engine runup. He then taxied onto the runway and began the takeoff roll. About 4-5 seconds into the takeoff roll, his seat slid backwards. At that point, he was unable to reach the rudder pedals, and the airplane departed the left side of the runway, nosed over, and came to rest inverted. According to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector who responded to the accident location, the airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. According to FAA records, the airplane was manufactured in 1961 and registered to the pilot in January 2019. The airplane's most recent annual inspection was completed on August 18, 2018. In addition, the annual inspection maintenance log entry indicated that the inspection an inspection in accordance with airworthiness directive (AD) 2011-10-09 had been completed. The airplane was retained for further examination. Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information Aircraft Make: Cessna Registration: N8905X Model/Series: 182 D Aircraft Category: Airplane Amateur Built: No Operator: Paul B Greene Operating Certificate(s) Held: None Meteorological Information and Flight Plan Conditions at Accident Site: Visual Conditions Condition of Light: Day Observation Facility, Elevation: AVL Observation Time: 1754 EDT Distance from Accident Site: 11 Nautical Miles Temperature/Dew Point: 14°C / 0°C Lowest Cloud Condition: Clear Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: 8 knots / , 140° Lowest Ceiling: None Visibility: 10 Miles Altimeter Setting: 30.22 inches Hg Type of Flight Plan Filed: Unknown Departure Point: Brevard, NC (3NR3) Destination: Wreckage and Impact Information Crew Injuries: 1 Minor Aircraft Damage: Substantial Passenger Injuries: N/A Aircraft Fire: None Ground Injuries: N/A Aircraft Explosion: None Total Injuries: 1 Minor Latitude, Longitude: 35.269722, -82.643611 (est)
The National Transportation Safety Board traveled to the scene of this accident.
Additional Participating Entity: Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Los Angeles, California N5440F Aviation Accident Preliminary Report - National Transportation Safety Board: https://app.ntsb.gov/pdf https://registry.faa.gov/N5440F
Location: Compton, CA Accident Number: WPR19FA095A Date & Time: 03/13/2019, 1855 PDT Registration: N5440F Aircraft: North American T28 Injuries: 1 None Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Personal On March 13, 2019, about 1855 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 152 airplane, N48962, and a North American T-28 Trojan, N5440F, collided while landing on runway 25L at the Compton/Woodley Airport, Compton, California. The student onboard the Cessna was fatally injured and the flight instructor sustained serious injuries; the Cessna was destroyed after being consumed by fire. The Airline Transport Pilot onboard the T-28 was not injured; the T-28 sustained minor damage. The T-28 was operated by Tomorrow's Aeronautical Museum and the Cessna was operated by the Long Beach Flying Club. Both airplanes were being operated under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as personal flights. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for either flight. The Cessna departed for a local instructional flight from the Long Beach Airport, Long Beach, California at an unknown time. The T-28 departed for a local personal flight from Whiteman Airport, Los Angeles, California about 1830 with a planned destination of Compton. There were multiple video recordings that captured the accident. A review of the footage revealed that the Cessna touched down and continued on the landing roll out. The T-28 crossed over the runway threshold bar about 10 seconds after the Cessna and subsequently touched down. On the landing roll, adjacent to the "1/2" sign (indicates half of the runway remains), the T-28 impacted the Cessna resulting in an explosion. The T-28 pilot stated that as he turned the airplane left from the base leg to final approach in the traffic pattern for runway 25L, he noticed a layer of haze on the horizon. The bright sun and the haze created a glare on the windscreen that obscured his forward vision making it difficult for him to see directly ahead. As he descended toward the runway, the glare became worse and he realized he was in between runway 25L and 25R. He side-stepped to runway 25L and the airplane touched down on the runway surface. Several seconds later, the pilot observed the Cessna on the runway ahead of him. He felt the impact with the other airplane and resulting explosion immediately thereafter. The T-28 continued about 1,000 ft before coming to rest off the right side of 25L (see figure 01).
Figure 01: Wreckage Distribution
Utilizing the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) sunrise/sunset calculator and solar position calculator, the time of sunset was 1859:24. The sun's azimuth at the time of the accident was 267° (see figure 02) and the elevation was 0.50° (about 90 ft above the horizon).
Figure 02: Solar Position
Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information Aircraft Make: North American Registration: N5440F Model/Series: T28 B Aircraft Category: Airplane Amateur Built: No Operator: Operating Certificate(s) Held: None Meteorological Information and Flight Plan Conditions at Accident Site: Visual Conditions Condition of Light: Day Observation Facility, Elevation: KHHR, 63 ft msl Observation Time: 0153 UTC Distance from Accident Site: 5 Nautical Miles Temperature/Dew Point: 17°C / 0°C Lowest Cloud Condition: Clear Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: 11 knots / 16 knots, 270° Lowest Ceiling: None Visibility: 10 Miles Altimeter Setting: 30.02 inches Hg Type of Flight Plan Filed: None Departure Point: Los Angeles, CA (WHP) Destination: Compton, CA (CPM) Wreckage and Impact Information Crew Injuries: 1 None Aircraft Damage: Minor Passenger Injuries: N/A Aircraft Fire: None Ground Injuries: N/A Aircraft Explosion: None Total Injuries: 1 None Latitude, Longitude: 33.889444, -118.240833 https://registry.faa.gov/N48962
N48962 Aviation Accident Preliminary Report - National Transportation Safety Board: https://app.ntsb.gov/pdf Location: Compton, CA Accident Number: WPR19FA095B Date & Time: 03/13/2019, 1855 PDT Registration: N48962 Aircraft: Cessna 152 Injuries: 1 Fatal, 1 Serious Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Instructional On March 13, 2019, about 1855 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 152 airplane, N48962, and a North American T-28 Trojan, N5440F, collided while landing on runway 25L at the Compton/Woodley Airport, Compton, California. The student onboard the Cessna was fatally injured and the flight instructor sustained serious injuries; the Cessna was destroyed after being consumed by fire. The Airline Transport Pilot onboard the T-28 was not injured; the T-28 sustained minor damage. The T-28 was operated by Tomorrow's Aeronautical Museum and the Cessna was operated by the Long Beach Flying Club. Both airplanes were being operated under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as personal flights. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for either flight. The Cessna departed for a local instructional flight from the Long Beach Airport, Long Beach, California at an unknown time. The T-28 departed for a local personal flight from Whiteman Airport, Los Angeles, California about 1830 with a planned destination of Compton. There were multiple video recordings that captured the accident. A review of the footage revealed that the Cessna touched down and continued on the landing roll out. The T-28 crossed over the runway threshold bar about 10 seconds after the Cessna and subsequently touched down. On the landing roll, adjacent to the "1/2" sign (indicates half of the runway remains), the T-28 impacted the Cessna resulting in an explosion. The T-28 pilot stated that as he turned the airplane left from the base leg to final approach in the traffic pattern for runway 25L, he noticed a layer of haze on the horizon. The bright sun and the haze created a glare on the windscreen that obscured his forward vision making it difficult for him to see directly ahead. As he descended toward the runway, the glare became worse and he realized he was in between runway 25L and 25R. He side-stepped to runway 25L and the airplane touched down on the runway surface. Several seconds later, the pilot observed the Cessna on the runway ahead of him. He felt the impact with the other airplane and resulting explosion immediately thereafter. The T-28 continued about 1,000 ft before coming to rest off the right side of 25L (see figure 01).
Figure 01: Wreckage Distribution
Utilizing the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) sunrise/sunset calculator and solar position calculator, the time of sunset was 1859:24. The sun's azimuth at the time of the accident was 267° (see figure 02) and the elevation was 0.50° (about 90 ft above the horizon).
Figure 02: Solar Position
Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information Aircraft Make: Cessna Registration: N48962 Model/Series: 152 No Series Aircraft Category: Airplane Amateur Built: No Operator: Long Beach Flying Club Operating Certificate(s) Held: None Meteorological Information and Flight Plan Conditions at Accident Site: Visual Conditions Condition of Light: Day Observation Facility, Elevation: KHHR, 63 ft msl Observation Time: 0153 UTC Distance from Accident Site: 5 Nautical Miles Temperature/Dew Point: 17°C / 0°C Lowest Cloud Condition: Clear Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: 11 knots / 16 knots, 270° Lowest Ceiling: None Visibility: 10 Miles Altimeter Setting: 30.02 inches Hg Type of Flight Plan Filed: None Departure Point: Long Beach, CA (LGB) Destination: Long Beach, CA (LGB) Wreckage and Impact Information Crew Injuries: 1 Fatal, 1 Serious Aircraft Damage: Destroyed Passenger Injuries: N/A Aircraft Fire: On-Ground Ground Injuries: N/A Aircraft Explosion: On-Ground Total Injuries: 1 Fatal, 1 Serious Latitude, Longitude: 33.889444, -118.240833
Those who may have information that might be relevant to the National Transportation Safety Board investigation may contact them by email eyewitnessreport@ntsb.gov, and any friends and family who want to contact investigators about the accident should email assistance@ntsb.gov.
Lukas Michael Swidinski
Lukas, a friend, brother, son and mentor. Lukas has been fascinated with airplanes and had dreams to become a pilot himself. Unfortunately, last Wednesday Lukas and his flight instructor were involved in tragic plane accident and as a result Lukas did not survive. He was enthusiastic with everything he did in his life and he died doing one of the things he loved most. Lukas’ closest family, his mother Alicja and brother Mario, are making arrangements to come to the US from Europe to lay Lukas to rest. The funds raised here will help with funeral expenses, family’s travel expenses, and to be sure Lukas is taken care of and remembered well by the people he has touched throughout his life. There were many people that Lukas made an impact on in their lives, whether it was his students or people in the dive community, he was truly an amazing person. Lukas’ passion and talent for music inspired many young minds. Lukas was a kind and generous person who would do anything to help his friends. Lukas loved all animals and considered his cats family members. He had the most adventurous spirit, the biggest heart and the largest smile. From music, to motorcycles, to roller coasters, to scuba diving and flying Lukas lived his life with an enormous amount of enthusiasm. He will be missed by family, friends, students and colleagues. https://www.gofundme.com
Fund Raising For Ryan Davis Family https://www.gofundme.com Ryan Davis is an amazing pilot, friend, and/or associate to many of us. He has provided countless people with the knowledge needed to live their dreams as a PILOT. Ryan was in a tragic plane crash in Compton, California, March 13th when another plane crashed into the plane he was teaching in. His student was killed and Ryan is in the hospital and is in ICU and critical condition. Ryan, Jamie, and their daughter are going to need significant resources beyond any possible insurance limits to get through this healing process over the next several months. He is a wonderful, caring man and he and his family really need us to come together and help right now. Anything you can give will go a long way in his recovery, and sharing this with your friends will help a lot as well.
Authorities Thursday identified a student pilot who was killed when two planes collided on a runway at Compton/Woodley Airport. The crash occurred about 7 p.m. March 13 on Runway 25L on March 13, when a North American T-28B Trojan crashed into a Cessna 152 occupied by a flight instructor and a student pilot. The fatally injured man was identified today by the coroner's office as 40-year-old Lukas Michael Swidinski of Long Beach. "The Cessna landed first, trailed by the T28," Ian Gregor of the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement. "The North American T-28B Trojan landed and ran into the Cessna 152, which was still on the runway, causing the Cessna 152 to explode. There were two people on the Cessna 152 and one on the North American T-28B Trojan." The second man in the Cessna 152 was a flight instructor in his 30s. He was taken to a hospital in critical condition, the sheriff's department said. The pilot of the North American T-28B Trojan was unhurt, according to the sheriff's department. Personnel from the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board were working to determine what caused the two planes to collide. The North American T-28B Trojan is a military trainer first used by the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy in the 1950s, then was utilized as a counter-insurgency aircraft in the Vietnam War. Anyone who may have witnessed the crash was asked to call the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Aero Bureau at (562) 421-2701.
A flight instructor remained in critical condition Thursday after a fiery, two-plane crash at the Compton/Woodley Airport killed his student the previous evening. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department described the surviving victim as a man in his 30s and the student as a man in his 40s. They were in a single-engine Cessna 152, which was struck by a single-engine North American T-28 on the runway around 7 p.m. Wednesday. The pilot of the T-28 did not sustain any injuries in the incident, the Sheriff's Department said. That aircraft, which bears the U.S. Navy sign, appeared to be mostly intact as it sat at the airfield on Thursday morning. Officials have yet to identify the three individuals involved. The Cessna had just landed on the runway when the T-28 touched down and ran into it, causing the Cessna to explode, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. "Like many general aviation airports, Compton does not have a control tower," FAA Public Affairs Manager Ian Gregor said. "Pilots communicate with each other on a common radio frequency." The T-28 appeared to approach the Cessna from behind before landing on top of it, witnesses told KTLA on Wednesday night. "It just sounded like the darnedest explosion you would imagine… I saw one of the airplanes involved in the crash dragging parts of the other airplane down the runway," pilot Billy Jackson said. The Compton Fire Department responded to the scene and extinguished the blaze, the L.A. County Sheriff's Department said. The FAA is helping the National Transportation Safety Board investigate the case. The NTSB typically takes at least a year to determine what caused an incident, Gregor noted. A 2015 crash at the county-owned Compton airport left a pilot dead when a single-engine plane that had been trying to tow an advertising banner crashed and burned on a runway, the Associated Press reported. Story and video ➤ https://ktla.com
COMPTON, California (KABC) -- One person was killed when two small planes collided in a fiery crash at Compton/Woodley Airport Wednesday night.
The crash was reported just before 7 p.m. It appeared to involve a vintage Vietnam-era T-28 aircraft and a small plane that appears to be a Cessna.
The small plane was destroyed and burned up in the crash. One pilot was apparently ejected from one of the aircraft and killed.
Pieces of the aircraft are littering the runway and the wing landed about 100 yards away from the main fuselage.
Witnesses say it appeared the Cessna had already landed and was taxiing when the other pilot, possibly having trouble with the setting sun, also tried landing on the same runway and crashed into it.
Firefighters and law enforcement officials were on the scene. Paramedics transported another person from the scene in an ambulance.
A man who spent weeks in a coma before recovering from injuries in a fiery plane crash that killed his student and friend has filed a lawsuit saying the crash could have been prevented. Pilot and flight instructor Ryan Davis said he's filing a lawsuit over a crash that happened last March at the Compton Woodley Airport, leaving the student pilot dead and him in a coma. "My face was burnt, my arms are burnt, my legs are burnt," Davis said. Just before 7 p.m. Davis was in the passenger seat of a Cessna airplane, his student pilot at the controls, when he says the pair announced they were coming in for a landing. They found an open runway and touched down safely. "He did everything perfect," Davis said of his student pilot who has not been publicly named. But then another plane unexpectedly landed behind them, hitting their aircraft. "I don't remember the impact," Davis said. "The propeller came in, hit the left fuel tank and blew up the airplane." Davis says the 84-year old pilot in a military training plane did not check to see if the runway was clear and never let anyone know he was landing. The communication lapse is documented in an incident report from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department obtained by the NBC4 I-Team. The report states the pilot told an investigator he had not used the airport's frequency, saying, "He had not because the radio is so low on the panel and the small numbers are difficult for him to read …" Airports such as Compton Woodley do not have a control tower. A Federal Aviation Administration advisory says pilots should communicate with each other directly by radio. The pilot of the military plane, Ross Diehl, is now charged with involuntary manslaughter and careless and reckless operation of aircraft. Davis is now also suing Diehl, accusing him of negligence. "He violated a lot of very standard rules and he killed a man," said Dave Ring, Davis' attorney. "And he seriously hurt Ryan Davis because of outrageously reckless actions." Diehl's attorney declined to comment about the case, but said in a statement that, "This tragic accident is under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board which has yet to determine the probable cause. "This matter is also the subject of litigation and it would be inappropriate and premature to comment on as-yet unproven allegations." Also named in Davis' lawsuit are the military plane's owner, LA County, and the City of Compton, all of whom did not respond to requests seeking comment. Davis hopes the tragedy will lead to better communication between pilots at small airports. "I'm hoping that there can be a change that prevents this," he said. "Or at least reduces the chances of this happening again." Davis said recovery has been difficult. The young father tries to find moments of relief in his painful recovery by enjoying the times he can sit at the piano with his baby girl. He hopes to eventually get back to his passion and his livelihood. "Every time I think about it, I get chills," he said. Original article can be found here ➤ https://www.nbclosangeles.com
