At 10:34 Pacific time, a Navion G crashed while trying to return to the runway in the initial climb from Henderson Airport. The pilot was killed. Controllers said the airplane taxied to runway 36 and took off without a clearance from ground or local control. Several witnesses, including an FAA airworthiness inspector saw the airplane make a tight left turn just off the departure end of the 5,000-foot-long runway. The left bank continued until the nose dropped and the airplane descended vertically to the ground about 1,000 feet from the approach end of runway 18. The FAA inspector reported a trail of smoke coming from the airplane during the initial climb.
Oct. 13, Henderson, Nev. / Navion G
At 10:34 Pacific time, a Navion G crashed while trying to return to the runway in the initial climb from Henderson Airport. The pilot was killed. Controllers said the airplane taxied to runway 36 and took off without a clearance from ground or local control. Several witnesses, including an FAA airworthiness inspector saw the airplane make a tight left turn just off the departure end of the 5,000-foot-long runway. The left bank continued until the nose dropped and the airplane descended vertically to the ground about 1,000 feet from the approach end of runway 18. The FAA inspector reported a trail of smoke coming from the airplane during the initial climb....
Key Takeaways:
- A Navion G crashed, killing the pilot, while attempting an emergency return to Henderson Airport shortly after taking off without ATC clearance.
- Witnesses observed the aircraft make a tight left turn, followed by a nose-drop and vertical descent to the ground.
- An FAA inspector reported seeing a trail of smoke coming from the airplane during its initial climb, suggesting a possible in-flight issue.
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