AUBURN, Wash. — The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released its preliminary report Wednesday after the pilot of a small plane was killed when it crashed into the roof of a building in Auburn earlier this month.
According to the NTSB, an experimental amateur-built Vans RV12 airplane took off from the Auburn Municipal Airport around 20 minutes before the crash for what was described as a "pleasure flight."
The report said shortly after takeoff the plane went southeast and turned around after reaching the eastern foothills of Mount Rainier and headed back toward the airport. The pilot intended to land but overflew the runway and transmitted that he had a "control failure."
According to the report, the plane began to descend while turning left, what witnesses described as similar to a spin or spiral dive. The plane struck the warehouse roof, located at 425 C Street NW in Auburn, inverted in a 45-degree nose-down position, and came to a rest in the reception area.
The building was occupied at the time but no injuries were reported.
The report said the plane's forward cabin was crushed and fragments of the left wing were located in the roof.
The report said the preliminary investigation revealed one of the control stick pushrods was not connected properly in the plane's roll control system.
During its full investigation, the NTSB will gather information about the pilot, the airplane and the operating environment. It will look at flight track data, air traffic control recordings, maintenance records, weather forecasts and the pilot's license and flight experience, among other things.
A full report is expected at a later time.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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