Preliminary NTSB Report Sheds Some Light on Fatal East Haven Plane Crash: Report

EAST HAVEN, CT — The National Transportation Safety Board released its preliminary report concerning last month's fatal plane crash near Tweed New Haven Airport.

In the crash, Pablo Campos Isona, 31, of East Haven, died while Rafayel Hany Wassef, 20, of New London, suffered critical injuries but did survive the crash, which occurred on Feb. 22. The emergency call came in at 9:57 a.m., officials previously said. The plane ended up crashing 25 yards off the southeast side of runway two at the airport.

The Piper PA-38 Tomahawk was equipped for dual pilot control, an NTSB official said. The mayday call was generic and didn't specify the problem. The instructor and student were practicing standard take-off and landing procedures when the crash occurred.

Related: ID Released in Fatal Tweed New Haven Airport Plane Crash: UPDATE

According to the preliminary report by the NTSB, the airplane was practicing "touch-and-go landings on an asphalt runway," WTNH News 8 reports. This occurred three times without incident and then on the fourth time the pilot declared an emergency and stated "mayday," News 8 reports.

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The nature of the emergency wasn't disclosed by the pilot. The plane landed upright in a marsh, according to the NTSB report, and the plane's engine was buried in mud but was still attached, News 8 reports. The propeller and wings also remained attached, the report states.

The plane dates back to 1978 and had been in operation for 8,473 hours over the past few decades and was last inspected in September 2016.

News 8 also notes that the flight instructor had a commercial pilot certificate and the student pilot had 17 hours of flying experience.

More details will likely be released when the full report is released later this year.

Read the full News 8 story here for the full NTSB preliminary report.