PAGE HAS BEEN SET UP TO HELP PAY FOR HIS TREATMENT. YOU CAN FIND THAT LINK ON NEWS. 4 JAX
DOT COM.
>>KENT JUSTICE: AN UPDATE TO A
FIERY PLANE CRASH IN SAINT
AUGUSTINE THAT SENT A MARRIED
COUPLE TO THE HOSPITAL WITH
BURN INJURIES HAPPENED LAST
THURSDAY, MOMENTS AFTER
TAKEOFF FROM THE NORTHEAST,
FLORIDA REGIONAL AIRPORT.
WELL, THE ACTION IS STILL
UNDER INVESTIGATION RECORDING
IN THE PREFLIGHT COMMUNICATION
BETWEEN THE PILOT AND AIRCRAFT
CONTROL IS SHUTTING LIVE IN
THE PILOTS DECISIONS. NEWS 4
JAX REPORTER ERIK AVANIER
JOINS US NOW LIVE. ERIC
EXPERTS WHO SPOKE WITH AGREE
THAT THE PILOTS SHOULD HAVE
USED A DIFFERENT RUNWAY.
>> CAN THE AVIATION EXPERTS I
SPOKE WITH SAY THE PILOTS
SHOULD HAVE USED THE LONGEST
RUNWAY AT THE AIRPORT BUT
CHOSE TO USE ONE OF THE
SHORTEST RUNWAYS AT THE TIME
THAT SHORT RUNWAY DID NOT HAVE
THE BEST WIND DIRECTION FOR
TAKEOFF.
>> MOMENTS BEFORE THIS 1999,
PIPER, MALIBU WENT FROM
LOOKING LIKE THIS TO LOOKING
LIKE CHART TWISTED METAL
FOLLOWING A CRASH AFTER
TAKEOFF. THE PILOT REQUESTED
TO USE RUNWAY 2 FOR ONE OF THE
SHORTEST RUNWAYS AT THE
AIRPORT. I WOULD GREAT KOETTER
BEFORE PROBLEM OCCURS. THERE
ARE PART OF THE READY TO BACK
RIGHT COURT PAPERS. 1, 1, 4,
ROB YOUR DISCRETION ON A 4, 1,
1, OR 2 WOULD WANT GET ON
COURT.
>> THE TOWER JUST GAVE THE
PILOT DISCRETION TO NAVIGATE
THE PLANE FROM THIS LOCATION
ON THE TARMAC TO THIS
LOCATION. IT WOULD GIVE THE
PLANE’S SLIGHTLY CLOSE TO 700
MORE FEET FOR TAKE OFF IN A
SOUTHWEST DIRECTION. BUT IT’S
UNCLEAR IF THE PILOT BACK TAXI
BEFORE TAKEOFF, CERTIFIED
FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR AND
COMMERCIAL PILOT CAPTAIN
ROBERT KATZ HAS BEEN FLYING
FOR MORE THAN 40 YEARS AND
HE’S CONSIDERED AN EXPERT ON
PREVENTABLE PLANE CRASHES. HE
SAYS THAT BASED ON THE
CONVERSATION BETWEEN AIR
TRAFFIC CONTROL, GROUND
CONTROL AND THE PILOT, IT
APPEARS THE PILOT SHOULD HAVE
CHOSEN ONE WAY. 1, 3, WHICH IS
8,000 FEET LONG.
>> THE BROADWAY HE CHOSE TO
THE PARK FROM IS THAT MOST
2,700 LONG. POSSIBLE. I CAN’T
SAY DEFINITIVELY, BUT IT’S
POSSIBLE THAT HE DID NOT U.S.
THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF THAT
RUNWAY THAT WAS AVAILABLE TO
HIM. AGGRAVATED BY THE FACT.
BUT THE WIN THAT. WHAT HAD
BEEN A QUARTER TAIL ABOUT 10
DEGREES. TO HIS DEPARTURE
PATH.
>> THAT IS UNDESIRABLE UNDER
ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. SO HE’S
GOT.
>> A LITTLE BIT OF A CROSS
WIND.
>> NEWS, 4 JAX AVIATION EXPERT
ED BOOTH ALSO REVIEW THE PRE
TAKEOFF COMMUNICATIONS. HE
CHOSE A RUNWAY.
>> NOT FAVORABLE TO THAT TYPE
OF AIRPLANE. IT WAS TOO SHORT.
IT WAS NOT LINED UP WITH THE
PREVAILING WIND THAT DAY.
EVERY OTHER AIRPLANE AT THE
AIRPORT THAT DAY WAS USING
RUNWAY 1, 3,
>> WHEN PILOTING AN AIRPLANE,
IT’S ALWAYS BETTER TO TAKE
INTO THE U
>> ONE WITHOUT HAVING TO
INCREASE GROUND BUT RECORDS
SHOW THE PILOT ACQUIRED THE
PLANE 2 YEARS AGO IN PREVIOUS
FLIGHT. DATA SHOWS THE PLANE
WAS FLOWN TWICE FROM
JACKSONVILLE DAYS PRIOR TO THE
CRASH. WHY THE PILOT CHOSE TO
TAKE OFF FROM A SHORT RUNWAY
REMAINS UNCLEAR. IT’S ALSO
STILL UNCLEAR IF THE PLANE HAD
A MECHANICAL ISSUE. WHAT’S
CLEAR IS THAT SOMETHING WENT
WRONG DURING TAKEOFF AND
EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED IS
STILL UNDER INVESTIGATION.
>> NOW THE PILOT AND HIS WIFE
ARE STILL RECOVERING FROM
INJURIES THEY SUFFERED DURING
THE CRASH, THEIR DOG, WHICH
WAS ON THE PLANE,
UNFORTUNATELY DIED. OF COURSE,
THIS IS AS I SAID EARLIER ON
ALL STILL UNDER INVESTIGATION
REPORTING LIVE. ERIK AVANIER
CHANNEL 4, THE LOCAL STATION.
>>KENT JUSTICE: ERICA’S
ANYTHING ELSE THAT STOOD OUT
TO THESE AVIATION EXPERTS WE
SPOKE WITH ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED
HERE. VERY GOOD QUESTION CAN
AND I WILL TELL YOU, YES,
AFTER REVIEWING THE
COMMUNICATIONS OF A NOTICE
THAT THE DID NOT GIVE THE
CONTROL A FLIGHT PLAN, THEY
ALSO NOTICED SOMETHING ELSE
THAT HE DID NOT READ BACK
STATEMENTS THAT WERE READ TO
HIM OFF FROM THE TOWER. BOTH
OF THOSE ARE STANDARD
PROCEDURES RIGHT BEFORE