08/04/2010 // West Palm Beach, FL, USA // Sandra Quinlan // Sandra Quinlan
Wilson, NY—The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)’s preliminary probe into a Sunday afternoon, August 1, 2010 plane crash, which landed a pilot and five skydivers in the hospital, revealed that an open door could have potentially contributed to the accident. The injurious aviation accident occurred near Hollands International Airport in Wilson, New York, according to information provided by the Buffalo News, as well as a previous report titled, “Wilson NY Plane Crash Left Pilot, 6 Skydivers Injured Shortly After Takeoff.”
FAA reports stated, “At [2:23 p.m.] in Niagara County… a Cessna 185 departed a private grass strip, Holland’s Field, and was unable to clear the treetops when a door opened, causing the plane to crash in a wooded area.”
According to FAA spokesperson James Peterson, “A door opening is not necessarily going to cause a plane to crash… This is a Cessna 185. What effect will this have on the controllability of the aircraft? That is what will be part of the [safety board’s] investigation.”
The pilot of the wrecked Cessna, 68-year-old Paul E. Gath, allegedly told FAA investigators that he lost control of the aircraft shortly after departing from Hollands International.
“Why it didn’t clear the treetops will be up to the [safety board] to make the determination… They will make a lot of calculations. The weight of the passengers, fuel… Because one of the six skydivers was seriously injured and the aircraft itself sustained substantial damage, it now makes it [a safety board] accident investigation,” Peters added.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)’s investigation into Sunday’s plane crash was expected to be underway.
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