‘Dropped out of the sky’: Plane in fatal Land O’ Lakes crash was only in the air for 30 seconds, NTSB says
Previous coverage: Pilot identified, plane removed after crash in neighborhood LAND O' LAKES, Fla. (WFLA) — The National Transportation Safety Board said a plane that crashed in Land O' Lakes last month, killing the pilot, was only in the air for around 30 seconds before it was seen falling from the sky. The pilot was later identified as 59-year-old Michael Bailey. On April 19, just after 8:30 a.m., a Cessna 401B crashed in the Grand Oaks subdivision on Aldus Drive, exploding into flames and damaging some nearby properties. A few weeks later, NTSB released its preliminary report on the incident. The report said witnesses described being alerted by the sound of the plane flying low, and one witness said the engine power sounded like it was decreasing. The witness reported that the plane started a slight climb and then "dropped out of the sky," followed by the sight of a large fireball and plume of smoke. NTSB said surveillance video from Tampa North Aero Park shows the pilot conducting a preflight inspection of the plane and starting both engines without issue. The plane was seen taxiing, taking off and beginning to climb normally, the report said. Soon after the plane left the camera's field of view, a plume of smoke was seen rising in the distance. The plane crashed in a residential neighborhood, narrowly missing a direct impact with nearby homes, and was almost destroyed. "The fuselage was heavily damaged by impact forces and post-impact fire. The cockpit and cabin sections were largely consumed by fire, and the instrument panel was destroyed. Due to thermal damage, instrument indications were unreliable," the NTSB report reads. "All cockpit switches were destroyed by post-impact fire. The main landing gear was observed in the retracted position. Flight control continuity was established to all flight control surfaces." Throughout its 30-second flight, the plane climbed to around 200 feet and reached 86 knots
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