A federal aviation report says the pilot in a Brooklyn Park plane crash radioed air traffic control to “abort” just before the crash, which killed him and his partner, a North Dakota state representative.
According to the National Transportation Safety Board’s (NTSB) report, a Beechcraft F33A crashed on April 25 just before noon in Brooklyn Park after taking off from Crystal Airport to fly to Konshok Field in Park Rapids.
The pilot and passenger were killed, and the plane was destroyed, marking the second fatal plane crash in the city in just over a year.
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The pilot and passenger were later identified as Dr. Joseph Cass, a retired Mayo Clinic orthopedic surgeon, and Liz Conmy, a North Dakota state representative. Cass was flying the aircraft at the time of the crash.
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The NTSB’s Aviation Investigation Preliminary Report states that air traffic control cleared Cass to depart runway 32 around 11:51 a.m. However, shortly after takeoff, Cass said, “abort, abort, 32X,” according to the report, before air traffic control cleared him to land on any runway.
Video footage from the airport showed the plane turning left before dropping behind the treeline, followed by a plume of black smoke.
The report confirmed the plane landed in a park in a neighborhood about 900 feet from the end of runway 32, after which a fire broke out.
According to the report, four videos captured the plane, and in all four recordings, the engine could be heard. One camera showed the plane hit trees and the ground in a near-vertical nose-down position.
Two witnesses at the airport also described trouble after takeoff, the NTSB report stated, adding that one person said the landing gear was still down at about 150 feet and that they then saw the plane turn left and lose altitude.
The second witness told investigators the takeoff did not appear abnormal, but the plane looked low and was not climbing, according to the report.
The first witness added he could still hear the engine before hearing an explosion.
Investigators confirmed in the report that the landing gear was found down on impact.
The report also says an examination of the engine and related parts found fuel in the system and no obvious internal damage in the cylinders.
NTSB officials say the plane had been flown from Park Rapids to Crystal Airport the day before.
RELATED: NTSB report: Plane that crashed into Brooklyn Park home in March suddenly descended rapidly
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