Preliminary report says experimental plane stalled before Gila Bend crash
Jul 1, 2021, 8:16 AM | Updated: 8:19 am
A plane crashed near Gila Bend Airport on Sunday morning. (Town of Gila Bend Photo)
(Town of Gila Bend Photo)
PHOENIX (AP) — The National Transportation Safety Board on Wednesday issued a preliminary report on the recent crash of an experimental plane near Gila Bend Municipal Airport that killed a passenger.
Authorities said one person aboard the experimental plane was ejected upon impact and pronounced dead at the scene on June 15 while the other person was airlifted to a hospital with life-threatening injuries.
The NTSB report didn’t name the two men, but said the pilot was the one who was injured.
According to the report, the plane’s owner had just bought the Covie Quickie and was flying it to his home in Texas.
A witness told authorities that the plane struggled to gain altitude after takeoff.
After getting about 50 feet in the air, the aircraft reportedly made a left turn, then stalled and crashed about 200 feet west of the runway before bursting into flames.
The NTSB report said most of the plane’s frame was destroyed by the fire.
Gila Bend is located about 50 miles southwest of Phoenix.
