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TWO people have been killed in a plane crash after lifting a wheel to dodge a turtle on the runway earlier this month.
The small private plane had already landed when the pilot lost control of the aircraft, according to a National Transportation Safety Board preliminary report released on Friday.
The pilot and a passenger were killed when the plane crashed in a wooded area near Sugar Valley Airport in North Carolina and burst into flames on June 3.
A second passenger was severely injured in the crash.
A communications officer looking out the airport office window advised the pilot that the reptile was on the runway as he prepared to land, the NTSB said.
The pilot touched down about 1,400 feet down the 2,424-foot runway at the airport in Mocksville, which is 60 miles north of Charlotte.
To avoid hitting the turtle, the pilot lifted the right wheel of the Universal Stinson 108 plane and pushed the throttle forward, the NTSB said.
The communications officer said she heard the throttle advance and then lost sight of the plane.
The report said a man cutting grass at the end of the runway said he saw the pilot lift the wheel over the turtle.
He then saw the plane’s wings rocking as it flew back into the air.
The man said he lost sight of the plane in the sky before hearing a loud crash and seeing smoke billowing.
The plane crashed in a wooded area about 255 feet past the runway.
It caught on fire and was wedged between several trees, the NTSB said.
It’s unclear if the pilot’s decision to raise the wheel caused the crash.
TRAGIC AFTERMATH
The report said some of the plane’s body was burned and left the frame exposed.
The report said some of the plane’s outer material burned through and left the frame exposed.
However, the plane was left in one piece except for a few pieces of fabric found in a stream near the accident site.
The airplane was lying on its left side.
The wreckage and engine were kept for investigation.
The victims haven’t been identified by the NTSB.
The NTSB also didn’t list a probable cause for the crash and didn’t immediately return The U.S. Sun’s request for comment.
The probable cause for the crash will be included in the final reports of the incident, which can take up to two years to complete.
