A recent report by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has shed light on the circumstances surrounding a fatal plane crash that occurred in New Mexico two years ago. The crash resulted in the death of 28-year-old Alberto Lozano, a resident of Las Cruces, during his first solo flight in a turbine-powered agricultural plane.
Investigation Findings
According to the NTSB report, the probable cause of the crash was an aerodynamic stall and loss of control. However, the reasons behind this loss of control could not be determined due to the limited information available. The report highlighted that Lozano was flying the plane to gain experience and was instructed by the chief pilot to practice various maneuvers before returning to the airport.
Communication issues were noted during the flight, with Lozano and the chief pilot experiencing difficulty in communicating via radio. The chief pilot resorted to texting Lozano to ask if he could hear him, and Lozano replied that he could barely hear the radio. The chief pilot then suggested that they might need to communicate through texting instead.
Lozano texted the chief pilot, expressing concerns about the plane shaking, to which the chief pilot responded that it was likely due to the significant horsepower of the plane. Shortly after, the chief pilot spotted smoke in the area where Lozano was flying, indicating a potential issue with the plane.
Witness accounts provided additional insights into the incident. One witness, a former pilot, reported seeing the plane flying about 600 feet above the ground with a normal-sounding engine. Another witness observed the plane rocking its wings from left to right several times.
The report also mentioned that the mechanic who performed the most recent maintenance on the plane did not complete the annual inspection and lacked the official manufacturer’s maintenance manual. The crash occurred during the plane’s first flight after maintenance, and the chief pilot acknowledged that he decided to fly the plane despite the incomplete inspection.
An autopsy report by the New Mexico State Office of the Medical Investigator revealed that Lozano’s death was caused by thermal injuries, inhalation of combustion products, and blunt trauma.
Original reporting: El Paso News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
