A skydiving plane crashed in Missouri on Sunday, resulting in the deaths of all 12 people on board, including the pilot. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has launched an investigation into the cause of the crash.
Investigation Underway
According to investigators, the plane took off from Butler Memorial Airport at around 11:30 am on Sunday and crashed shortly after takeoff. The NTSB has sent a team to the scene to investigate the crash.
Long-time pilot and trainer Robert Katz believes that a weight or balance issue may have contributed to the crash. “What I think happened here in this case is that it was, if not a weight issue, a balance issue. If too much of that weight is forced into the tail of the airplane, then the airplane is going to be impossible to control on takeoff,” he said.
NTSB Vice-chairman Michael Graham stated that the investigation will look into various factors, including weight and balance, as well as eyewitness reports of engine failure. “We will always look at weight balance on any aircraft accident and try to determine if it was inside the envelope,” he said.
The NTSB plans to remove the wreckage from the crash site and transport it to another location for further examination. An initial report is expected to be released within 30 days, while a final report, including the cause of the crash, is likely to take at least a year.
Original reporting: WLWT Cincinnati — read the source article.
