Pilot in fatal plane crash reported losing power before landing
A U.S.-based safety board has released the early findings of their investigation into a plane crash last month that killed three members of a family from Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) stated Saturday that 58-year-old Joseph Robertson, the pilot of the small aircraft that departed from Pembroke, Ont., and crashed July 30 in rural Maine, reported a loss of power to air traffic control before his plane went down.
Robertson, his 58-year-old wife Anita and their 24-year-old daughter Laura died at the scene. The family were on their way to a vacation in Charlottetown.
According to the report, Robertson told air traffic control that he had the Greenville Municipal Airport in sight and intended to land on runway 14.
Two witnesses mentioned in the report described what they saw from the airport as the plane crashed in a field about 91 metres from the approach end of runway 21.
First witness
The first witness, who was standing on the airport's tarmac between the two runways, said he saw the airplane flying directly toward where he stood.
He said the airplane, which appeared low in the sky — about 121 metres above the ground — made a left downwind entry for runway 21.
The witness said in the report that there was no smoke trailing the airplane and the landing gear was retracted.
When the airplane reached the end of runway 21, it began a "shallow" left turn and was going very slow, he said.
"It was like it almost stopped in the air," the witness told the board.
According to the report, the plane's left wing suddenly dropped and the airplane's nose dove toward the ground. The witness added that he saw debris and knew the airplane had crashed.
Second witness
The second witness, a pilot, also said the aircraft was flying low, around 150 to 180 metres above ground as it approached the airport from the west.
Instead of landing, the airplane continued to fly over the centre of the airport, the pilot said.
He said that when the airplane flew past the approach end of runway 21, it began a shallow left turn and was flying very slowly.
The airplane was at such a severe angle, the pilot said, that he could see the entire top of the airplane.
He then said the aircraft appeared to momentarily stop, before the left wing "stalled" and the nose dove toward the ground.
The witness said in the report that he did not believe the pilot was trying to land on runway 21 because he was positioned too close to it.
Full report expected after a year
The Robertson family is well-known in St. Catharines, Ont., where they made major financial contributions to a performing arts centre. They were also active in the United Way, and Joseph Robertson served on the board of Brock University for nearly a decade.
The NTSB reported that the twin-engine propeller Piper Smith-Aerostar 600 light aircraft was registered and operated by Robertson under Canadian aviation regulations.
The report stated that Robertson had a total of 590.3 flight hours as of July 27.
The NTSB also said that after the crash, the nose and front area of the plane had been compressed inward from the impact and that both engines were partially buried in the ground.
About 20 gallons of fuel was cleaned up at the site, the report said, and the green vegetation around the crash site had become a discoloured brown.
The airplane wreckage has been retained for further examination. A full report, with analysis, won't be released for at least a year, the NTSB said.
Greenville is about 240 kilometres north of Portland, Maine, in a rural part of the state's interior. Pembroke is about 150 kilometres northwest of Ottawa.
