Pilot fell out of aircraft and hit tail, causing deadly 2022 crash that killed 2, NTSB says
The pilot of an experimental aircraft fell out of the plane and struck the tail, causing a crash that killed him and his passenger in 2022 in Pennsylvania, federal authorities said.
The pilot of an experimental aircraft fell out of the plane and struck the tail, causing a crash that killed him and his passenger in 2022 in Pennsylvania, federal authorities said.
The “experimental amateur-built” Bearhawk Patrol plane crashed the afternoon of Oct. 29, 2022, at a farm near Hanover Township, the National Transportation Safety Board said in a report released Wednesday.
The Luzerne County coroner’s office identified the two killed as Michael Bowen, 59, of Jonestown, and Ronald Snyder 76, of Bernville. The report did not mention the pilot and “pilot-rated passenger” by name, but it identified them by their ages. Snyder was the pilot.
Before the fatal flight, the pilot told a friend the airplane had a rigging issue that seemed to cause it to “kick” laterally while turning, the report said.
The friend took the plane for a 10-minute flight and told the pilot he noticed the “odd yawing” while turning. The pilot said he would address the problem later, the report said.
Rating: 5