Pilot killed in North Carolina plane crash was trying to avoid turtle on runway, report shows

The Guardian

6 hours ago

The pilot of a small plane that crashed near a North Carolina airport this month had raised a wheel after landing to avoid hitting a turtle on the runway, according to a National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) preliminary report.
The pilot of the Universal Stinson 108, a single-engine, four-seat aircraft, and a passenger were killed in the 3 June crash near Sugar Valley airport in Mocksville, officials said. A second passenger was seriously injured in the crash.
A communications operator looking out of the airport office window advised the pilot that there was a turtle on the runway, according to the report released this week. The operator reported that the pilot landed about 1,400ft down the 2,424ft runway, then lifted the right main wheel to avoid the turtle. The operator heard the pilot advance the throttle after raising the wheel, but the airplane left her view after that.
A man cutting the grass at the end of the runway reported seeing the pilot raise the right wheel to avoid the turtle, then the wings rocked back and forth and the plane took off again, according to the report. The man lost sight of the plane and then he heard a crash and saw smoke.
The plane crashed in a heavily-forested area about 255ft from the runway and caught fire, officials said. The plane was wedged between several trees and remained in one piece except for a few pieces of fabric found in a nearby stream. It came to rest on its left side with the left wing folded underneath the fuselage and the right wing bent toward the tail.
Preliminary reports contain facts collected on scene, but don't speculate on probable causes, according to the NTSB's website. Those await final reports, which can take much longer to complete.