Tue, May 08, 2007
Pilot Told ATC He Was 'Wrestling the Other Guy'
In its preliminary report, the
National Transportation Safety Board states a medical emergency may
have led to the April 19 downing of a Grumman American AA-5B Tiger
while on final approach to Danville Regional Airport in Danville,
VA.
Pilot William Price, 63, of Upper St. Clair, PA told controllers
his passenger, Robert Depp, 64, of Mount Lebanon, was having
tremors and that he was "wrestling with the other guy" moments
before the crash. The men were headed to Myrtle Beach, SC when
Price requested clearance to land in Danville, the NTSB said.
The airplane was in radio and radar contact with controllers at
7,000 feet when the pilot declared a medical emergency and
requested to divert to DAN, according to preliminary FAA data.
Price told controllers he believed his passenger was suffering from
diabetic "tremors."
After informing controllers of the onboard altercation, the
pilot advised he had the airport in sight and was cleared for a
straight in visual approach to runway 13, but the clearance was not
acknowledged. Radar contact was lost moments later.
Witnesses report the aircraft "veered hard and to the right"
before it impacted wooded terrain near the airport, according to
the Central Pennsylvania CentreDaily. Both men perished in the
crash.
First responders located the wreckage near a residential area
approximately one mile northwest of DAN. Investigators were able to
locate all major components of the airplane, and examinations have
revealed no evidence of pre-impact failures or malfunctions with
the airframe or engine, according to the report.
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