A heart surgeon flying out of the Danville Regional Airport (KDAN) in Danville, Virginia, crashed last week while reportedly approaching to land at one of the runways during a student solo flight. Local news outlets reported that the airplane, a Piper Warrior, hit a tower before crashing. The NTSB is investigating the cause of the accident and is expected to release a preliminary report in the next few days.
Accidents involving student pilots are relatively rare, accounting for about five percent of accidents according to recent Nall reports (accident statistics published annually by AOPA’s Air Safety Institute). Reports indicate that the instructor of the accident pilot was observing the flight.
