Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration on Friday were investigating the cause of a plane crash that killed a flight student a half-mile from an airstrip in Jasper.
Michael Hughes, 21, was in a Piper Cherokee and on his third solo flight Thursday afternoon when the plane crashed, investigators said.
The NTSB told Channel 2 Action News that Hughes, who was also a volunteer firefighter, was doing touch-and-go take-offs and landings just before the accident in Pickens County. After he took off a second time, a witness said the aircraft’s engine stopped making noise and seemed to cut out.
“The plane was observed to enter what someone described as similar to an aerodynamic stall. The nose pitched down and the airplane appeared to spin to the left until disappearing behind trees and then a witness heard the aircraft impact,” said Todd Gunther of the NTSB.
About the Author
