Pilots aboard small plane that crashed in a fireball reported ‘problem’ with the rudder and could only make left turns, NTSB reports says
Emergency personnel respond to the area where a small plane crashed on April 11. The pilots flying a Cessna 310R
By Alexandra Skores, CNN
Washington (CNN) — The pilots flying a Cessna 310R which crashed near Boca Raton, Florida in April reported to air traffic control they were having problems with the rudder and could only make left turns, according to a preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board.
The small plane went down on a busy street and skidded onto railroad tracks on April 11, erupting into a fireball. The two pilots and passenger on the aircraft died and one person on the ground had minor injuries.
The flight was the first time the plane had been in the air since its annual inspection was completed, the NTSB report noted.
The plane took off from Boca Raton about 10 a.m. and was headed to Tallahassee.
Security camera video captured the takeoff and showed it banked to the left and continued in a left turn until it was out of view, the NTSB said.
According to preliminary air traffic control recordings, one of the pilots reported the problem with the rudder and said they could only make left turns.
Data collected by the NTSB shows the plane continued to circle to the left and made several low altitude 360 degree turns before it crashed.
About 10:12 a.m. Boca Raton fire and police dispatch received a call for a plane in trouble and the aircraft went down about 8 minutes later, officials said.
The NTSB preliminary report does not determine the cause of the crash, which will be identified in a final report which usually takes about a year to complete.
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