Preliminary report released for New Year’s Day plane crash at Naples Airport

Writer: Nicholas Karsen
Published: Updated:
Plane Crash
Credit: WINK News

The National Transportation Safety Board has released its preliminary report on a plane crash that involved four people at Naples Municipal Airport in January.

The report states that the crash occurred on Jan. 1 at around 1:30 a.m. The private pilot and three passengers were not injured.

According to the pilot, he emailed his flight plans to the Bartow Executive Airport in Bartow. In return, the pilot was notified of a route change.

The report states that the air traffic control tower was closed at his intended departure time, so he contacted the Miami Air Route Traffic Control Center for clearance.

After being granted clearance via telephone, the plane was able to depart.

Following takeoff, the plane operated normally; however, the private aircraft’s engine began to lose power around 100 to 200 feet above the runway.

The pilot noted that the plane’s left wing began to stall, forcing him to push the control wheel forward, stabilizing the aircraft.

Since the airplane was no longer over the runway, the pilot had to maintain a shallow descent to avoid another stall.

A building at the Naples Municipal Airport appeared, causing the left wing to collide with it as the pilot had little time to maneuver away.

“The aircraft is a total loss,” said Naples Airport Communications Director Robin King. “The engine is no longer attached to the airplane; the prop is no longer attached to the airplane. One wing is pretty much destroyed, and we are thankful that the four individuals walked away from this unharmed.”

“There are numerous buildings that are damaged,” King continued. “The airplane had just taken off about 1 a.m. [and] did not gain much altitude. We do not know what happened. We can’t even speculate what happened to the airplane, but they clipped a couple of buildings and came to rest outside the airfield.”

After clearing the crash, the NTSB began their examination of the plane, which revealed damage to the fuselage.

The left horizontal stabilizer was almost completely separated from its mounting position.

Only the inboard portion of the left elevator remained attached to the left horizontal stabilizer.

The outboard portion of the left elevator was torn from the left horizontal stabilizer and the inboard portion of the elevator.

According to the NTSB, the weather included calm winds, 1/4-mile visibility, fog and a vertical visibility of 100 feet.

The wreckage was retained for examination.

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