The pilot of an “amateur experimentally built” plane fell from the plane during flight and struck the tail, causing a crash in rural Pennsylvania that killed him and his passenger, federal authorities have found.
On October 29, 2022, a two-seater Bearhawk patrol plane crashed nose-first into a farm near Hanover Township, just 100 feet from where children were enjoying a hayride, and the pilot, for some reason, crashed into a farm near Hanover Township. in the air after being hoisted out of the aircraft while flying at 1,700 feet.
“We could not determine why the pilot exited the plane mid-flight, but an impact to the tail of the plane during the flight resulted in significant damage to the tail and subsequent loss of control during the flight. According to the final results of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigation released, the named passenger would not have been able to recover.
The pilot, previously identified by the coroner as 76-year-old Ronald Snyder, told a friend before the accident that the plane had rigging that caused it to “kick” sideways during a turn, according to the report. He said that he had been there.
The friend flew the plane for 10 minutes and reported to Snyder that he “noticed a strange yawing motion while turning.”
Snyder reportedly told a friend that he planned to address the issue “this winter.”
The plane had left Wilkes-Barre Wyoming Valley Airport on its way to an airport in Lebanon County and had climbed to an altitude of 1,700 feet before experiencing trouble just a few minutes into the flight.
“Witnesses reported that the plane ‘first pitched down’ and then ‘rolled over’ as the nose ‘rapidly rose’ and then recoil,” the report said. “At this time, several witnesses reported seeing the pilot coming out of the plane, and one reported seeing the pilot take an impact and the tail of the plane spiral down. The person observed the pilot and the plane descending to the ground.
The NTSB said it is unclear why Snyder attempted to unbuckle his seatbelt during the flight, but they suspect he was trying to check the plane’s tail.
“It is possible that the pilot fell out of the airplane while attempting to observe the tail section, or that the pilot moved the controls while attempting to observe the tail section, which caused a sudden pitching moment that caused him to be thrown from the airplane.” investigators wrote.
Passenger Michael Bowen, 59, was found dead in the plane’s wreckage, and Snyder was found about 500 feet away.
Mr. Snyder and Mr. Bowen both died from multiple trauma, and their deaths were ruled accidental.
Toxicology tests conducted by the Federal Aviation Administration found antidepressants and cholesterol drugs in the pilot’s system, but they are not believed to be a factor in the crash, the report said.
