LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — (Eds. note: The attached video is from February 2023 at the start of investigation into the deadly plane crash.)
The NTSB has released its preliminary report on the deadly plane crash that killed 5 people near the 3M Plant in Little Rock last month.
The report states that prior to the crash, the pilot requested a "taxi clearance with Automatic Terminal Information Serivce (ATIS)." According to the NTSB, this clearance also included "a low level wind shear advisory alert."
These clearances began around 11:51a.m., with the pilot acknowledging the takeoff clearance around 11:55 a.m.
The NTSB said in the report that the initial takeoff and climb into the air appeared normal at first, but stated that cameras picked up a "plume of smoke" after the plane went out of sight.
Officials said that the plane's camera began to shake due to wind, picking up recordings of heavy rain and debris, despite the runway being dry before and during takeoff.
The NTSB released scans of two different weather reports from Little Rock's airport that were consistent with weather changing and deteriorating in the short time from taxi to takeoff to the unfortunate crash.
Following impact, the reports shows that the plane was engulfed in flames. Officials arrived, which is where they were able to begin an extensive examination of the plane at the scene of the accident.
The reports states that the vast majority of damage to the airplane came at the point of impact, with investigating officials noticing "no pre-impact airframe anomalies."
The crash, which happened around noon on Feb. 22, took the lives of 5 different CTEH employees:
- Pilot Sean Sweeney
- Micah Kendrick
- Kyle Bennett
- Gunter Beaty
- Glenmarkus Walker
The plane, which was owned by CTEH, was a Beech 200 airplane. It was departing from Clinton Airport when the crash occurred, according to the FAA.
The plane was headed towards Ohio. A spokesperson for CTEH said this group was responding to an incident at a metal plant in Bedford, Ohio.
“We are incredibly saddened to report the loss of our Little Rock colleagues,” said Dr. Paul Nony, senior vice president of CTEH. “We ask everyone to keep the families of those lost and the entire CTEH team in their thoughts and prayers.”