New Information On Teterboro Airport Crash Released

The pilots of the Learjet that crashed at Teterboro Airport May 15 started their approach turn to the airport late, causing the plane to be almost perpendicular to the ground when it crashed in Carlstadt and exploded into a fireball, damaging three buildings and 16 vehicles, a preliminary report on the crash by the National Transportation Safety Board states.

The FAA released the report Thursday on the crash that killed co-pilot Jeffrey Allen and the pilot, who were the only two people on board the plane.

It was the crew members' third flight of the day. The first departed Teterboro at about 7:30 a.m. and landed at Laurence G. Hanscom Field in Bedford, Massachusetts about 45 minutes later, the report states. They then refueled and took on a passenger before departing for Philadelphia shortly after 10 a.m. and landing an hour later.

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An air-traffic controller reported that he saw the plane bank hard to the right and he could see the belly of the plane and the wings "almost perpendicular to the ground," the report stated.

The plane then appeared to level off for a second or two before the left wing dropped, showing the entire top of the plane. Witnesses on the ground said they saw the plane in a right bank and said its wings wobbled before the left wing dropped and the plane crashed.

One security camera showed the plane nose down when it crashed, according to the report.

A wind shear advisory was in effect when the crash occurred. Winds were blowing 20 miles per hours and gusting to 29, the report stated.

Three buildings, including the Carlstadt Department of Public Works building and two others were damaged. The other two buildings sustained fire damage from the exploding plane. No one on the ground was injured, but debris was spread out over 440 feet.

The cockpit voice recorder was found in the wreckage and was sent to the National Transportation Safety Board. A transcript of the flight will be created, but the report did not specify exactly when.

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Photo: Carlstadt firefighters respond to a fire after the jet crashed. (Joe Orlando/Town of Carlstadt via Associated Press)