Officials from the National Transportation Safety Board will take their first full day tomorrow (Thurs) investigating the small jet crash that killed 9 people in Akron Tuesday afternoon. Ideastream’s Mark Urycki reports they’ve already compiled some information about the flight.
The Florida charter jet carried 7 passengers from the Boca Raton real estate company Pebb Enterprises. On Monday it flew from Fort Lauderdale to Minneapolis, St Louis, and Moline before landing in Cincinnati.
Tuesday it stopped in Dayton before its final approach to Akron Fulton Airport. NTSB Vice Chairman Bella Dihn-Zarr says security camera video captured its final seconds.
“The video shows the aircraft was flying at a low altitude and banking to the left. We have also examined the accident scene: the left wing hit the ground first and left a witness mark. Then the aircraft hit half an apartment building destroying it before running up an embankment behind the building and coming to rest.”
The plane and apartment building exploded in flames. Akron Fulton does not have a control tower but NTSB investigator Jim Silliman spoke with the pilot who landed a plane there just before the Florida jet was making its approach.
“And the airplane that landed beforehand was on that same frequency. They stated that they did not hear any distress calls or anything of that nature.”
The jet’s cockpit voice recorder has been recovered and is on its way to Washington DC. The two Honeywell engines are being sent to the company for examination.
Dihn-Zarr says they will not speculate on a cause for the crash. She says they will consider the weather, the equipment, the crew’s skill, and the maintenance record of the craft among other information.
The nine bodies are still being identified and removed from the crash site.
Summit County Medical Examiner Lisa Kohler says the Patrol has set up a station for her office to recover the bodies
“That allows us to document where the individuals are in relation to the wreckage prior to our removal of the individuals. We’re doing a very systematic and organized removal of these folks and we will get them to the office, gather information as far as identifying features, and be able to make that identification.”
Kohler is getting help from 22 anthropology students and faculty from Mercyhurst University in Erie and the Ohio Mortuary Operations Response Team.
Families whose apartments were destroyed are getting help from the Red Cross and Summit County Victim Assistance.
Ohio Highway Patrol Staff Lieutenant Bill Haymaker added that assistance will also be offered to the safety workers who may need some help after their work at the scene.
Mark.Urycki@ideastream.org