A 51-year-old pilot was enjoying some time in the sky in his Cessna 172P Skyhawk II airplane when his life came to a sudden, tragic end. He was roughly five miles away from Chesapeake Regional Airport when something happened to cause the plane to malfunction. The pilot contacted the FAA to report engine problems, but it was too late. The plane crashed causing the pilot’s death, according to msnbc.com.
Given the extent of the damage, it would have been virtually impossible for someone to survive the wreck. “It’s torn all to pieces,” said Bill Stuart, who saw what was left of the plane after the accident. “It’s wrecked real bad. It looks like a pretzel.”
Here is a news report on the Chesapeake airplane crash…
We don’t know what exactly caused the plane to crash or the specific problem in the engine. It is important we get these details fleshed out since the Cessna Skyhawk is one of the most common airplane models flown by civilian pilots and if there is a systemic issue, it needs to be addressed as soon as possible. Ironically, the Cessna Aircraft Company describes the Skyhawk as the safest general aviation aircraft ever built on their web site.
My deepest sympathies go out to the pilot’s family. As someone who also enjoys taking to the sky in small airplanes, I am always saddened to hear about fellow pilots who lose their life in these terrible accidents.