Report offers more details on fatal plane crash at Black Warrior River
The National Transportation Safety Board on Tuesday provided more details about a plane crash that killed a Tuscaloosa man in February.
The agency released its preliminary report on the crash, which occurred near Bankhead Lock and Dam on Feb.16.
Aerial photographer Edward Todd was killed after the plane he was flying crashed into the Black Warrior River in Tuscaloosa County.
More: Plane that crashed in Tuscaloosa County is registered to aerial photographer
The Cessna Skyhawk plane owned by Todd Media Inc. departed from the Tuscaloosa National Airport at 9:11 a.m. and flew into Jefferson County, where it made several loops before flying back toward Tuscaloosa, according to flight logs. Tracking data for the flight ends at 10:16 a.m.
According to its website, Todd Media Inc. is owned and run by Todd. The company serves the Tuscaloosa, Birmingham, and Montgomery areas and the rest of the Southeast with aerial photography and video production services.
The NTSB's report said the crash occurred at 10:29 a.m. and the Cessna 172M plane was substantially damaged in the accident.
The report states that a witness who was fishing on the Black Warrior River said that he observed an airplane flying low above the river. The airplane collided with a set of powerlines, then hit the water and sank.
The witness said that by the time he used his boat to reach the spot where the airplane went down, the aircraft was already submerged.
The report states another witness observed the airplane flying “level” and low over the river. The airplane’s engine was operating at a “high rpm.” The witness said that as he attempted to take a picture of the airplane, he heard it hti the powerlines. The airplane then veered left and landed in the river.
The agency said the airplane collided with a set of ½-inch-wide powerline cables, one neutral and one energized cable, which spanned the river and were about 60 to 80 feet above the water. The airplane severed the neutral cable. The energized cable was not severed, but according to a witness, the power in her camper flickered momentarily when the airplane collided with the powerlines.
The agency said the plane was recovered from the river and taken to a secure salvage facility for furtherexamination.
Family members and friends of Todd confirmed on Facebook that he was flying the plane when it crashed.
Todd's sister Rebecca Todd Minder spoke about her brother's death in a Facebook post.
"My brother Edward Todd is no longer with us," Minder said.
"I feel broken and lost. He was the smartest person in our family, turning his hobbies of flying and photography into careers. His “office” was the sky and he got to witness God’s gift from a perspective many never witness," she said.
Minder said Todd started his career at age 15 at ABC 33/40 as an engineer and had a passion for photography.
Reach Jasmine Hollie at JHollie@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Report: Pilot hit power lines before fatal crash in Tuscaloosa County
