NTSB: Flight instructor called pilot before Independence crash

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A preliminary report from the NTSB showed their were no mechanical malfunctions that would have led to the December 16 crash of a small plane in Independence, Oregon that killed the pilot and 2 passengers, all former members of the Afghan Air Force.

But the report showed the flight instructor called the pilot while he was on the ground at the McMinnville airport and said he was concerned about fog that built up near the runway they were using for practice.

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“The pilot explained that he would fly to 7S5, assess the conditions and decide to either land or divert to McNary Field Airport (SLE) Salem, Oregon, or possibly return to MMV. The pilot informed the flight instructor that he had picked up a second pilot-rated-passenger at MMV,” the preliminary NTSB report said.

A few minutes later, the Cessna entered the “downwind leg” toward the runway, “then entered a descending 180° left-hand turn. During the turn, the airplane overshot the runway centerline to the east, corrected but overshot the centerline to the west. “

The plane likely hit a wooden power pole first, shearing it off with part of it hitting the right wing. The plane crashed on the edge of an open field adjacent to the airport. Fire destroyed the fuselage and the engine separated from the plane, landing about 60 feet away from the main wreckage.

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Mohammad Hussain Musawi, the 35-year-old pilot, plus passengers Mohammad Bashir Safdari, 35, and Ali Jan Ferdawsi, 29, all died at the scene of the crash near Hoffman Road in Independence.

The NTSB said this “information is preliminary and subject to change.”

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