Five dead in Kill Devil Hills airplane crash, NTSB seeks witness statements

Published 4:16 pm Tuesday, October 1, 2024

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National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator Ryan Enders (left) with National Park Service superintendent David Hallac at a media briefing Sunday afternoon about the known facts of a fatal plane crash Saturday afternoon. Summer Stevens photo

Wreckage from the crash remained in the trees beside the runway. Summer Stevens photo

The wreckage of Cirrus SR22 airplane that crashed last Saturday in a wooded area beside the runway at First Flight Airport. Summer Stevens photo

The plane crashed into this wooded area during a second approach at the runway. Summer Stevens photo

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All five people aboard a Cirrus SR22 airplane died late Saturday afternoon during an attempted landing at First Flight Airport beside the Wright Brothers National Memorial in Kill Devil Hills.

The plane, which departed from Dare County Regional Airport in Manteo, approached Runway 21 and didn’t land on the first approach. Circling back for the second approach, the plane crashed into a wooded area just east of the runway.

A post-crash fire ensued, which was visible to those driving by on Colington Road. The original departure location of the multi-leg trip has not yet been released.

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The Wright Brothers National Memorial, in a Tuesday afternoon news release, identified the people on board the airplane when it crashed as Shashwat Ajit Adhikari, 31, of Silver Spring, Maryland; Jason Ray Campbell, 43, of Southern Pines; Kate McAllister Neely, 39, of Southern Pines; Matthew Arthur Fassnacht, 44, of Marietta, Georgia; and a 6-year-old child.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating the incident. In a media briefing on Sunday afternoon, NTSB investigator Ryan Enders said he is trying to determine what happened, why it happened, and how an accident like this can be prevented from happening again.

Enders said it is too early in the investigation to determine the cause of the crash. “We don’t want to speculate. We are just here to collect the factual information. Once we have all the evidence that we can gather, we’ll go back to our desks, put it all together, and come up with probable cause,” he said.

The First Flight Airport is a non-towered airport, which means pilots are not necessarily required to file a flight plan. Pilots communicate with other aircraft in the area when they will be landing. The airport does record communications, and Enders stated there were no mayday calls.

There was some wreckage still present on Sunday in the trees above the crash site. Up about 50’ in a pine tree, a piece of the plane, presumably the wing, was caught in the branches, suspended by what appeared to be a line or cable. The wreckage on the forest floor area was badly burned.

For the next several days, the NTSB will be collecting any perishable evidence including photographs, video evidence, or data from the airplane that might assist them with flight information.

They will be investigating three primary areas: the pilot and the pilot’s qualifications; the airplane and its air worthiness; and the environment including the weather and any air traffic control communications that may have been transmitted.

Specifically, the NTSB will examine flight track data, recordings of any air traffic control communications, electronic devices that may contain relevant information, and aircraft maintenance records, according to a September 29 press release. They will look into weather forecasts and actual weather and lighting conditions around the time of the accident, as well as the pilot’s license, ratings and recency of flight experience. A 72-hour background of the pilot will be conducted to determine if there were any issues that could have affected the pilot’s ability to safety operate the flight.

Further, the NTSB will be collecting witness statements and are encouraging the public to submit photos, recordings or doorbell camera footage that may contain information about the accident. If anyone saw the crash or heard a noise from the aircraft during the landing attempt, they are requested to contact the NTSB at witness@ntsb.gov.

Enders said a preliminary report will be published in approximately 10 days. In 9-12 months, the NTSB will issue a factual report and a statement of probable cause.

Two NTSB investigators were at the accident site Sunday and Monday. Airplane wreckage was removed and taken to a secure facility for additional evaluation.

Wright Brothers National Memorial returned to normal operating hours Tuesday, October 1.

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