Investigators looking into why a plane crashed in Ashland County, killing pilot

Yahoo

08-05-2025

Investigators are still trying to learn why a private airplane crashed Monday in Ashland County.
The weather is a leading suspect, according to Todd Gunther, an air safety investigator for the National Transportation Safety Board.
"As you know, it was rainy that day," Gunther said Wednesday during a press conference. "We do have meteorologists from our staff, at our headquarters currently, that are looking at the weather conditions at the time of the accident."
The plane went down about 7:42 p.m. Monday in a wooded area near the intersection of Ohio 89 and Jackson Township Road 902 in rural Ashland County.
Gary Wolfelt, 72, of West Lafayette, Indiana, was found dead in the wreckage. He was the pilot and the only person on board.
Investigators plan to pour over maintenance records, pilot records and the pilot's flight physiology.
"What his medical certification was and what his physical condition was at the time of the accident," Gunther said.
Investigators are removing the avionics systems from the wreckage for further study. They are also examining air traffic data.
The craft's registration and airworthiness are on the list of items to be analyzed.
"We're also looking at flight path reconstruction right now," Gunther said.
Wolfelt had taken off from Cleveland Burke Lakefront Airport before flying to Ashland County.
"We're also making a determination as to what his final destination may have been," Gunther said.
After investigators finalize their work at the scene, they will spend about 30 days writing a report about the entire incident. That report will be available online.
Another 60-90 days later, the probable cause of the wreck will be determined.
The airplane was an experimental, homebuilt Express 2000 FT.
"The airplane is made out of composite material," Gunther said. "It's fiberglass. It's built from a kit."
The 4-seat aircraft was powered by a 6-cylinder engine that produced about 300 horsepower.
First responders discovered an emergency locator transmitter on the airplane after the wreck, but investigators have since learned that no ground stations or satellites received a transmission from the craft before the crash.
Investigators believe the plane was flying in a "nose-low attitude" when it struck ground.
"It appears that at the time it impacted, the aircraft might have been spinning to the right," Gunther said.
The plane hit one tree before coming to rest in the wooded area.
The tips of both wings as well as each of the horizontal stabilizers were in place when the wreckage was discovered.
The airplane's ailerons, elevator and rudder all seem to have been in place at the time of the wreck.
"There's no sign of any type of in-flight structural failure, fire or explosion," Gunther said. "We do not have any evidence of a post-impact fire on scene, and we do know that the aircraft did have fuel on it."
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This article originally appeared on Ashland Times Gazette: Airplane wreckage will help determine cause that led to pilot's death