The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released its preliminary report Friday on the plane crash that killed Greg Biffle and six others near Statesville, North Carolina. The full report can be read below.
While the NTSB does not determine probable cause in a preliminary report, the findings indicate the flight encountered electrical and flight-instrument anomalies, which likely degraded the pilot’s situational awareness. The aircraft later returned toward the airport and flew an unstabilized approach, making its first impact with the runway approach lighting system short of the runway.
The report found no evidence of engine failure or structural failure. Both engines were producing power at impact, and all major flight control components were accounted for.
Among the key issues documented in the preliminary report:
- The pilot (Dennis Dutton) reported the left-side altitude indicator was not functioning properly
- The pilot implied additional left-side flight instruments may also have been inoperative
- The Garmin GTN-750 avionics unit stopped recording airspeed and heading data
- Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) audio quality severely degraded, consistent with a possible electrical power issue
This report is preliminary and subject to change. The NTSB typically issues a final report, including a probable cause determination, 12 to 24 months after an accident.
Download the report
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