UNITED STATES NEWS

AP: Pilot maneuver led to NJ crash that killed 5

Mar 9, 2012, 8:59 PM

Associated Press

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) – A pilot’s “ostentatious display” in performing a high-speed fly-by at a New Jersey airport, followed by a steep climb, led to a crash that killed all five people aboard, including three Polish tourists, according to a federal report released Friday.

The February 2010 crash killed plane owner Jacek Mazurek, who lived in Kearny in northern New Jersey; 46-year-old Wojciech G. Nykaza, of Lodi, N.J.; 38-year-old Andrzej Zajaczkowski of Warsaw; his 14-year-old son, Patryk; and his 6-year-old nephew, Filip Zajaczkowski. The three Polish tourists were family friends of the 45-year-old Mazurek.

Nykaza and Mazurek both were certified pilots, according to the National Transportation Safety Board, but it isn’t known which man was operating the controls at the time of the crash.

Several people who witnessed the crash described the plane flying low past the airport at high speed, then pitching upward before losing part of a wing and cartwheeling into the snow. According to NTSB files, GPS data from the plane showed it was going 160 knots, or more than 180 mph, about 140 feet in the air right before it crashed.

A placard found in the plane listed its top maneuvering speed at 155 mph, Friday’s NTSB report said.

“The pilot’s low pass and subsequent pitch up maneuver, consistent with an ostentatious display, was performed at an airspeed that exceeded this operating limitation,” investigators wrote.

The report also cited numerous modifications made to the plane that could have weakened the wing structure. Witnesses reported seeing a six-foot piece of the plane’s right wing fall off before the crash.

An airplane mechanic who was an acquaintance of Mazurek’s told investigators that he had warned Mazurek about performing the high-speed maneuver in the Cessna 337. He told The Associated Press last year that Mazurek had played videos showing him performing the maneuver.

The NTSB report found that while none of the 22 modifications made to the plane created a safety concern by itself, the combination could have put extra stress on the wings. It noted the Federal Aviation Administration didn’t offer guidance on evaluating the effects of multiple modifications.

In the wake of the accident, the FAA issued a safety order directing Cessna owners to inspect wings for damage and to put placards listing operational limits in their cockpits.

(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

United States News

Associated Press

Legislation allowing doctor-assisted suicide narrowly clears Delaware House, heads to state Senate

DOVER, Del. (AP) — A bill allowing doctor-assisted suicide in Delaware narrowly cleared the Democrat-led House on Thursday and now goes to the state Senate for consideration. The bill is the latest iteration of legislation that has been repeatedly introduced by Newark Democrat Paul Baumbach since 2015, and it is the only proposal to make […]

1 hour ago

Associated Press

California governor pledges state oversight for cities, counties lagging on solving homelessness

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Nearly $200 million in grant money will go to California cities and counties to move homeless people from encampments into housing, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Thursday while also pledging increased oversight of efforts by local governments to reduce homelessness. The Democratic governor said he will move 22 state personnel from a […]

1 hour ago

Associated Press

More human remains believed those of missing woman wash up on beach

SOUTH MILWAUKEE (AP) — More human remains, including a torso, that are believed to belong to a missing woman have washed up on a beach along Lake Michigan, authorities said Thursday. The torso and an arm believed to belong to 19-year-old Sade Robinson were found Thursday morning along a remote stretch of tree-lined beach in […]

2 hours ago

Associated Press

Maryland teen charged with planning school shooting after police review writings, internet searches

ROCKVILLE, Md. (AP) — An 18-year-old Maryland high school student was charged with planning to commit a school shooting after investigators reviewed the teen’s writings and other material, including internet searches and messages, police said Thursday. The student was arrested Wednesday by the Montgomery County Police Department. The investigation began after a person contacted police […]

2 hours ago

Associated Press

Rural Texas towns report cyberattacks that caused one water system to overflow

A hack that caused a small Texas town’s water system to overflow in January has been linked to a shadowy Russian hacktivist group, the latest case of a U.S. public utility becoming a target of foreign cyberattacks. The attack was one of three on small towns in the rural Texas Panhandle. Local officials said the […]

2 hours ago

Associated Press

Suspect in fire outside of U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders’ Vermont office to remain detained, judge says

BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) — The man accused of starting a fire outside independent U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders’ Vermont office earlier this month will remain detained pending further legal proceedings, a federal judge ordered Thursday. Shant Michael Soghomonian was indicted by a grand jury on a charge of maliciously damaging or attempting to damage and destroy […]

3 hours ago

Sponsored Articles

...

Condor Airlines

Condor Airlines can get you smoothly from Phoenix to Frankfurt on new A330-900neo airplane

Adventure Awaits! And there's no better way to experience the vacation of your dreams than traveling with Condor Airlines.

...

COLLINS COMFORT MASTERS

Here are 5 things Arizona residents need to know about their HVAC system

It's warming back up in the Valley, which means it's time to think about your air conditioning system's preparedness for summer.

...

DISC Desert Institute for Spine Care

Sciatica pain is treatable but surgery may be required

Sciatica pain is one of the most common ailments a person can face, and if not taken seriously, it could become one of the most harmful.

AP: Pilot maneuver led to NJ crash that killed 5