One of the pilots of a small plane that crashed in Boca Raton last month reported a rudder problem and said the plane was only making left turns before it went down, killing the three family members who were on board, according to a new report.
One of the pilots of a small plane that crashed in Boca Raton last month reported a rudder problem and said the plane was only making left turns before it went down in a ball of fire, killing the three family members who were on board, according to a new report.
The preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board released Wednesday sheds new light on the April 11 crash that killed a 17-year-old, her father and grandfather.
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Brooke Stark, her father 54-year-old Stephen Stark, and grandfather 81-year-old Robert Stark, were on the Cessna 310 when it crashed after departing from Boca Raton Airport on its way to Tallahassee International Airport.
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According to the report, the flight was the first after the plane's annual inspection but immediately after takeoff, the plane drifted to the left.
The plane made a 180-degree left turn, followed by a series of 360-degree left turns, the report said.
A Google Earth image included in the report showed the multiple loops the plane made after takeoff and before it crashed.
"According to preliminary air traffic control recordings, one of the pilots reported that they were having a problem with the airplane’s rudder and that they could only make left turns," the report said.
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The report said the plane hit some trees in the median of a roadway before it crashed into the road and then on some nearby railroad tracks where it burst into flames.
"The fuselage, including the cockpit, sustained significant thermal damage from the postimpact fire, and most of the fuselage and cockpit had been consumed," the report said.
A man who was driving was almost hit by the plane as it came crashing down next to his car, but he miraculously survived.
The report described the extensive damage to the plane including on parts of the rudder, but said the wreckage was retained for further examination.
