Pilot could ‘only make left turns' before deadly Boca Raton plane crash: NTSB report
BOCA RATON, Fla. (WFLA) — One of the pilots of a small plane that crashed in Boca Raton last month reported they were having a rudder problem and could only make left turns, according to a new report released Wednesday.
The fiery April 11 crash near the Boca Raton Airport left three family members dead: 17-year-old Brooke Stark, her 54-year-old father, Stephen Stark, and 81-year-old grandfather, Robert Stark. The plane nearly hit a driver as it came crashing down next to his car, but the man survived with only minor injuries.
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Wednesday's preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said the Cessna 310, which was bound for Tallahassee International Airport, was only in the air for 11 minutes before it went down.
The plane had just taken off from the Boca Raton Airport in its first flight since having its annual inspection completed.
Almost immediately after takeoff, the plane began drifting to the left, the report said. The plane then made a 180-degree left turn, followed by a series of full circle loops.
'According to preliminary air traffic control recordings, one of the pilots reported that they were having a problem with the airplane's rudder and that they could only make left turns,' the NTSB wrote in its report.
The plane came crashing down on its ninth turn, hitting several trees in the median of the road and bursting into flames as it struck a set of railroad tracks. The NTSB said the fuselage, including the cockpit, sustained significant damage from the fire, and most of it was 'consumed.'
The aircraft's rudder was found near the crash site, and the wreckage was retained for further examination. It could take up to two years before a final report is released.
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