Report: W. MI pilot declared ‘mayday’ before deadly crash
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — A West Michigan pilot reported that the small plane he was flying was gathering moisture, then declared a “mayday” as it fell from an altitude of 8,500 feet, according to a preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board.
James Scarlett, 45, was killed April 12 when a single-engine Piper PA-32 crashed near Knoxville, Tennessee. He was the CEO of Scarlett Inc., a woodworking solutions company based in Kentwood.
West Michigan man killed in plane crash in Tennessee
The NTSB report, obtained Friday by News 8, says Scarlett was heading home that day. He had taken off from St. Petersburg, Florida, then landed at McGhee Tyson Airport near Knoxville to refuel. He left soon after, bound for Gerald R. Ford International Airport near Grand Rapids.
According to the preliminary report, Scarlett left the Tennessee airport around 4:15 p.m. and was cleared to climb to 10,000 feet. He began climbing but reported the plane was “accumulating ‘moisture,'” the report says. Soon after, Scarlett declared “mayday” and the plane began to descend from 8,500 feet in the air.
“Flight track data indicated an abrupt left turn of about 90 (degrees), followed by a clockwise spiraling descent,” the report reads. “The airplane’s ground speed increased rapidly until track data was lost” around 4:35 p.m., about 15 nautical miles from the Tennessee airport.
At the time, a witness was outside his home. The witness heard what sounded like a propeller-driven plane, but the sound soon turned into something akin to a “car over-revving,” according to the preliminary report. When the witness looked up, he saw an airplane “falling out of the sky, twirling,” lost sight of the plane and then heard “parts hitting the ground,” the report says.
The wreckage was spread out over a 2-mile area, according to the NTSB report. It says the main fuselage, with part of the right wing still attached, came to rest in a wooded area, while the left wing was found about 1 mile away.
“The flight control cables were twisted and exhibited breaks consistent with overload,” the report reads.
About 1.5 miles from the main wreckage, the stabilator — broken in two — was found. Meanwhile, the vertical stabilizer was located 2 miles away from the fuselage “and showed impact and buckling damage,” according to the report.
The preliminary report also indicates that no operating certificates were held. When asked to confirm, the NTSB said in a statement:
The specifics regarding the pilot’s certification is still being collected. The information in the preliminary report is the information that is available from the NTSB at this time.
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