Crashed blamed on pilot error
December 7, 2011, 06:19 pm
The National Transportation Safety Board recently announced that pilot error caused a small plane to crash near Hailey, Idaho, which injured two people. It was previously believed that a malfunctioning autopilot device forced the aircraft to crash.
Blaine County officials said the Piper Cherokee crashed into the side of a mountain after taking off from Friendman Memorial Airport. Both Paul Tower, the pilot, and passenger Christina Rathbun were injured in the incident, The Republic reported.
The preliminary NTSB report said the pilot did not realize the plane was turning left as he tried to activate the autopilot and direct the plane toward Nampa. Rathbun, however, noticed the plane was shifting left towards the mountain ridge, and Tower responded by slowing the plane for a more controlled crash, The Idaho Mountain Express reported.
At the time of the crash, Rathbun was looking at the window and realized the plane was rapidly approaching the ridge. Because Tower slowed down the plane, the two passengers were injured but able to escape the plane safely after the crash, the source reported. Pilot insurance can help protect from such events that can lead to damaged aircrafts and costly medical bills.
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