The pilot who perished in plane crash last month in Breathitt County reported engine trouble not long before the aircraft went down, according to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
Timothy M. Pankiewicz, 62, of Green Cove Springs, Florida, was flying at about 9,000 feet above sea level over Breathitt County when he declared an emergency when the engine lost oil pressure.
The air traffic controller told Pankiewicz the airport was three miles away but the pilot said he couldn’t see the airport and was going to attempt to land in a field, the NTSB said. The engine then failed, with the experimental Rans RV-8 aircraft crashing into a field and bursting into flames.
Pankiewicz was the plane’s only occupant.
The NTSB’s crash investigation continues.
By Ken Howlett, News Director
Contact Ken at ken@k105.com
