NTSB Preliminary Report Released On Farmington Plane Crash

FARMINGTON, CT — A set brake handle and a trail of smoke were among the findings in a National Transportation Safety Board preliminary report on plane crash earlier this month in Farmington that killed four people.

The Sept. 2 crash took place at 111 Hyde Road — the Trumpf Inc. building. Trumpf is a large manufacturer of fabricating machinery. The plane went down at at 9:52 a.m., crash records show.

The two pilots of the small business jet have been identified as William O'Leary, 55, of Bristol and Mark Morrow, 57, of Danbury. The two passengers have been identified as Courtney Haviland, 33, and her husband, William Shrauner, 32, of Boston. The plane, a Cessna 560XL, was heading from Robertson Airport in Plainville to North Carolina. The NTSB said the plane was a Cessna 560XL.

Two people on the ground were hurt, police said.

Here is a summary of the NTSB findings:

• The parking brake handle in the cockpit, and an associated valve that it controlled, were both found in a set position.
• Two people witnessed the takeoff and one said the plane seemed to be traveling slower than in previous takeoffs.
• The flight data recorder showed the plane's "acceleration values" on the runway, just before the crash were, lower than on its two previous takeoffs.
• One witness said blue-colored smoke could be seen at the rear of the plane.
• A third person who saw the plane from a spot beyond the runway, said the plane was level at takeoff, but then pitched upward, but was not climbing.
• The plane hit a utility pole and a small explosion took place near the right engine.
• A witness reported that the front landing gear was still on the ground about halfway down the runway.
• The witness noted he thought something was wrong with the gear.
• Marks from the main landing gear went past the end of the runway and onto a grassy area.
• The plane's "primary or secondary flight control surfaces" showed no anomalies.