MEMPHIS, Ind. (WHAS11) — A preliminary report released on the Indiana plane crash that killed three said the airplane was climbing 6,000 feet through the air when it began a left turn, descended and disappeared from radar.
Pilot Andrew Davis was flying Wayne Estopinal and Sandra Holland Johnson from Clark Regional Airport (JVY) in Jeffersonville, Indiana to Chicago Midway Airport (MDW) in Chicago, Illinois at around 10:30 a.m. on November 11 when residents near the accident site heard an airplane flying followed by a loud noise.
The National Transportation Safety Board accident report said the pilot had previously been given a frequency change, which was acknowledge, however the pilot never reported to the next controller and no distress message was heard on either frequency.
The airplane first collided with trees near Memphis, Indiana, falling to a wooded area where it was found fragmented in numerous pieces. The report said all major components were accounted for at the accident site and there was evidence of a fire post-impact.
The wreckage was documented on-scene and recovered to a secure facility for further examination. The final investigation could take 12 to 24 months, and will reveal the cause.