Radio communications capture final moments before deadly St. Augustine plane crash

Jake Stofan
·2 min read
1

Action News Jax has confirmed two are dead after a plane crashed in St. Augustine Monday afternoon.

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Multiple agencies were on scene investigating into the evening.

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Radio communications between air traffic control and the pilot of a Mooney M20 fixed-wing aircraft captured the moments just before the plane crashed, killing both the pilot and another occupant.

“Door just popped open, gonna need to come back for a landing,” the pilot said in the recording.

Roughly a minute after that transmission, contact with the aircraft ceased.

“Hold short I had a Mooney out there on the base and I’ve lost comms with him, did you see him land?” the air traffic controller asks in the recording.

“Negative,” another person responded.

ORIGINAL STORY: FHP: 2 people killed in plane that crashed while heading back to Northeast Florida Regional Airport

Further radio communications indicated the plane’s occupants had died by the time emergency crews arrived.

“We have rescue personnel on the crash site. Unfortunately, there will be no medical need. The word is you should probably contact NTSB,” an official with Life Flight said.

According to the National Transportation Safety Board, preliminary information indicates the airplane was turning back to the airport when it crashed in a wooded area about two miles away.

NTSB investigators will examine the wreckage, radar data, weather information, maintenance records, and the pilot’s medical records.

According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the pilot was male, but further information about the victims has not been made public.

A preliminary report from NTSB on the crash will be available within 30 days, but a final report could be one to two years away.

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