Earlier Report: Pilot Confirmed, Aircraft Cleared After Neighborhood Crash
LAND O’ LAKES, Fla. (WFLA) — The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has revealed new details about the tragic plane crash in Land O’ Lakes last month. According to their findings, the aircraft was airborne for a mere 30 seconds before it plummeted to the ground, resulting in the death of the pilot.
The pilot was identified as 59-year-old Michael Bailey.
The incident occurred on the morning of April 19, shortly after 8:30 a.m., when a Cessna 401B aircraft crashed into the Grand Oaks subdivision on Aldus Drive. The impact caused the plane to burst into flames, leading to damage in the surrounding area.
The NTSB has since issued a preliminary report, shedding light on the circumstances surrounding this devastating event.
The report said witnesses described being alerted by the sound of the plane flying low, and one witness said the engine power sounded like it was decreasing.
The witness reported that the plane started a slight climb and then “dropped out of the sky,” followed by the sight of a large fireball and plume of smoke.
NTSB said surveillance video from Tampa North Aero Park shows the pilot conducting a preflight inspection of the plane and starting both engines without issue. The plane was seen taxiing, taking off and beginning to climb normally, the report said.
Soon after the plane left the camera’s field of view, a plume of smoke was seen rising in the distance.
The plane crashed in a residential neighborhood, narrowly missing a direct impact with nearby homes, and was almost destroyed.
“The fuselage was heavily damaged by impact forces and post-impact fire. The cockpit and cabin sections were largely consumed by fire, and the instrument panel was destroyed. Due to thermal damage, instrument indications were unreliable,” the NTSB report reads. “All cockpit switches were destroyed by post-impact fire. The main landing gear was observed in the retracted position. Flight control continuity was established to all flight control surfaces.”
Throughout its 30-second flight, the plane climbed to around 200 feet and reached 86 knots