NTSB Releases Preliminary Report On Jefferson County Plane Crash
The National Transportation Safety Board has released their preliminary investigation report into a plane crash in Jefferson County last month.
The report states that the Beechcraft multi-engine plane left Knoxville Downtown Island Airport at approx. 12:41pm on April 13. The aircraft proceeded northeast then southeast towards Gatlinburg-Pigeon Forge Airport.
The airplane made a low approach over the runway before it turned north and executed the published missed approach procedure. Following one circuit of the holding pattern, the plane turned northwest towards west Jefferson County. The report then says that in the final minute of the flight, the plane took a turn to the northeast and its speed decreased to 17 knots, which is equal to 19 mph ground speed. The plane then went into a deep descent toward the ground. The impact drove the engines four feet into the ground and much of the plane was consumed by the resulting fire. The time of the crash was 1:08pm, which means the flight lasted less than 30 minutes.
Killed in the crash were 75-year-old Allen Holman, of Knoxville, and 49-year-old Edwin Robbins, of Seymour. The NTSB is still trying to determine why the plane went down.

