New details released after deadly plane crash near Gila Bend Airport
GILA BEND, Ariz. - One person is dead and another has life-threatening injuries after a plane crashed on the morning of June 15 near the Gila Bend Airport.
According to the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office, two people were on board the aircraft when it went down near the runway of the airport.
One person was ejected from the aircraft upon impact and was airlifted to a hospital with life-threatening injuries.
The other person was pronounced dead at the scene.
Report: Plane had stalled after takeoff
The National Transportation Safety Board on June 30 issued a preliminary report on the recent crash of an experimental plane near Gila Bend Municipal Airport that killed a passenger.
The NTSB report didn’t name the two men, but said the pilot was the one who was injured.
According to the report, the plane’s owner had just bought the Covie Quickie and was flying it to his home in Texas.
A witness told authorities that the plane struggled to gain altitude after takeoff.
After getting about 50 feet in the air, the aircraft reportedly made a left turn, then stalled and crashed about 200 feet west of the runway before bursting into flames.
The NTSB report said most of the plane’s frame was destroyed by the fire.
Gila Bend is located about 50 miles (81 kilometers) southwest of Phoenix.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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