NTSB: engine trouble preceded PTC plane crash

Wed, 08/13/2008 - 2:11pm
By: The Citizen

The National Transportation Safety Board has released its initial report on an Aug. 1 crash of a private plane near Falcon Field.

The report indicated the Diamond DA-20-C1, owned by Falcon Aviation Academy, had engine trouble on descent, as it failed to respond to an increase in throttle by the pilot.

The pilot, who was conducting a post maintenance test flight on the aircraft, elected to land the plane in an open field after determining the plane would not reach the runway, the report stated.

The preflight inspection did not reveal any deficiencies, and no abnormalities were noted during the start-up, taxi and pre-takeoff run-up, the report stated.

The throttle was kept at full takeoff power during the upwind, crosswind and the left downwind.

The pilot and a passenger received minor injuries and walked away from the plane, the report said.

The NTSB cautioned that the information is considered preliminary and is subject to change, with any errors being corrected in the final report.

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