There's no sign of any engine or mechanical problems with the plane that crashed last weekend during a DeKalb County air show, killing the pilot, a federal investigator said.
Ralph Hicks, an official with the National Transportation Safety Board, said the organization may issue a report next week on the crash that killed pilot Greg Connell.
Connell’s plane crashed Saturday about 4:49 p.m. during a stunt maneuver at DeKalb Peachtree Airport.
The NTSB will, for now, retain control of the entire wreckage, Hicks said. Investigators will go through a GPS device as well as a video recorder to see if either might contain any useful data.
Also, investigators are interviewing witnesses, which is a lengthy process “because so many people saw the crash,” Hicks said. And investigators are going through video shot by professionals and amateurs.
The plane is essentially a steel tube with a fabric covering, Hicks said. Most of the fabric was burned up in the fire that engulfed the plane after the crash.
"We will focus on the pilot, the plane, and the environment," Hicks told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Monday. "Environment includes the wind but also other factors such as sun angle, possibility of turbulence, etc."
Video shows two planes cross paths close to the ground. The planes climb into the air and descend as part of a dive maneuver. The other plane — Connell’s custom-built biplane, known as Wolfpitts — fails to pull back up from the maneuver, hits the ground and goes up in flames.
A memorial service for Connell was to be held Wednesday in Augusta.
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