NTSB report: Pilot reported emergency, couldn't see airport before Bowie crash
3 people killed in plane crash in Bowie
A small plane crash in Bowie left three people dead last month.
BOWIE, MD. - A pilot radioed that he was experiencing an emergency and could not see the runway just moments before his single-engine plane crashed into a wooded area near a Bowie neighborhood last month, killing all three men on board.
The new details were released by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) in its preliminary report on the June 20 crash of the Piper Cherokee (PA-28).
The aircraft went down around 11:30 p.m. off Scarlett Oak Court near Scarlet Lane, coming to rest just feet away from a residential townhome community and a neighborhood playground, according to previous FOX 5 D.C. reporting.
READ MORE: 3 dead after small plane crashes in Bowie neighborhood
The final minutes
Timeline:
According to federal investigators, the flight was operated by Washington International Flight Academy (WIFA) LLC. The aircraft was on the return leg of a personal trip from Ocean City, New Jersey, back to its home base at Montgomery County Airpark in Gaithersburg.
Preliminary flight data shows that after cruising at 8,500 feet, the airplane made a gradual descent to 2,000 feet. Shortly after, the pilot made a partially unintelligible radio call stating he was near Fort Meade.
The pilot then changed his transponder code to 7700—the international distress signal—and told air traffic controllers he wanted to divert to Freeway Airport in Bowie, according to the report released Tuesday. Air traffic control provided radar vectors to guide the plane toward the runway and asked the pilot if he had the airport in sight. The pilot's final radio transmission was that he could not see the airport, per the report. Radar and radio contact were lost immediately after.
Search response and wreckage discovery
The backstory:
Because the crash occurred in total darkness in a heavily forested area, it took emergency crews nearly four hours to track down the site, according to FOX 5.
A massive search operation involving multiple local and state law enforcement agencies was triggered after an automated iPhone crash alert was sent to Prince George's County public safety dispatchers at 11:53 p.m.
Search teams located the wreckage at approximately 3:45 a.m. Sunday. The pilot and both passengers were pronounced dead at the scene, according to previous reporting.
No injuries were reported to anyone on the ground, though neighbors reported hearing a loud bang at the time of the crash, which some initially mistook for fireworks or thunder.
Cell phone video from the area showed plane debris scattered behind homes, with a section of a wing landing directly in a resident's backyard.
Initial damage findings
Dig deeper:
An initial examination of the crash site by federal investigators revealed extensive impact damage.
READ MORE: NTSB investigating what led to deadly plane crash in Bowie
The report states that both of the plane's wings separated from the fuselage after striking tree branches. The cockpit area was severely crushed backward, the instrument panel was heavily damaged and a portion of the horizontal tail structure had also broken away, as well.
Weather observations taken nine miles away at the time of the accident noted clear skies, light winds and ten miles of visibility.
What's next:
The NTSB also stated in the report that it has retained the wreckage for further technical analysis as the investigation into the exact cause of the crash continues.
The Source: Information from the National Transportation Safety Board and previous FOX 5 D.C. reporting.