Monday, June 22, 2015

ELDERLY PILOT KILLED IN A CZECH SPORT PIPERSPORT SINGLE-ENGINE AIRPLANE CRASH IN PENDER COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA







JUNE 22, 2015

PENDER COUNTY, NC (WECT) –

Authorities have identified the man killed in a single-engine airplane crash in Pender County Sunday.
According to State Highway Patrol, officials were notified around 11:15 p.m. Sunday about a possible plane crash near Highway 17 in Pender County. Preliminary information revealed that a plane took off from the Topsail Air Park around 3:30 p.m. Sunday en route to Albert J. Ellis Airport near Jacksonville.

Around 6:30 p.m., the pilot was reported missing after the flight was considered overdue.

Authorities with Pender and Onslow counties initiated a search for the missing aircraft. SABLE spotted the plane's wreckage around 10:30 p.m., about a mile from the Topsail Air Park.

State Highway Patrol officials say Dillard Powell, 89, of Cary died in the crash. 

FAA officials say the plane, a Czech Sport Aircraft AS Piper Sport, was registered out of North Topsail Beach in Onslow County.

Donna Crowler, a family friend of Powell's, told WITN that Powell was a World War II pilot and that his plane was recently serviced.

Crowler also says that Powell's wife planned to meet him at Albert J. Ellis Airport. Powell's wife waited overnight for him to arrive.

Officials with the National Transportation Safety Board will address the accident during a press conference scheduled for 3:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Surf City Fire Department.

The FAA says the flight did not receive air traffic control services, since none were required for the flight. NTSB, FAA, and State Highway Patrol officials are continuing their investigation.



Date:
21-JUN-2015
Time:
-15:30
Type:
Silhouette image of generic CRUZ model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different
Czech Sport PiperSport
Owner/operator:
Private
Registration:
N35EP
C/n / msn:
P1001059
Fatalities:
Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Other fatalities:
0
Airplane damage:
Unknown
Location:
Near Topsail Airpark (01NC), Holly Ridge, NC - http://aviation-safety.net/database/country/flags_15/N.gif  United States of America
Phase:
Unknown
Nature:
Unknown
Departure airport:

Destination airport:

Narrative:
Located subsequent to an ALNOT, the Light Sport Aircraft (LSA) had impacted wooded terrain south of Topsail Airpark (01NC), Holly Ridge, North Carolina. The airplane sustained unreported damage and the sole pilot onboard received fatal injuries.
Sources:
http://www.wect.com/story/29377810/authorities-investigate-fatal-plane-crash-in-pender-county
http://www.wwaytv3.com/2015/06/22/ntsb-investigating-deadly-plane-crash-in-pender-county/
http://www.asias.faa.gov/pls/apex/f?p=100:96:::::P96_ENTRY_DATE,P96_MAKE_NAME,P96_FATAL_FLG:22-JUN-15,CZECH+SPORT
http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=35EP