Mid-Air collision kills pilot
October 27, 2011, 05:04 pm
A student pilot and his trainer recently crashed their twin engine Piper airplane into a Beech Bonanza V35 while performing a series of training maneuvers. The accident killed the pilot of the smaller, single engine prop plane in Wilsonville, Oregon, according to The Oregonian.
A spokesman for the Yamhill County Sheriff's Office said that the Piper airplane, which was performing training exercises that involved rapid changes in altitude, struck the smaller Bonanza from above, breaking it into two pieces and killing the pilot. Seriously damaged, the Piper was able to make an emergency landing in an open field near the Champoeg State Heritage Area, according to the source.
A joint investigation between the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration is focusing on recovery and cataloging of debris, and may take up to a year to complete. Officials say they will release a preliminary report within a week, but currently have no evidence indicating that mechanical failure was a factor.
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