Investigators seek old photos of Sacramento plane after deadly crash
11 killed after Skydive Sacramento plane crashes during takeoff in Hawaii
11 killed after Skydive Sacramento plane crashes during takeoff in Hawaii
11 killed after Skydive Sacramento plane crashes during takeoff in Hawaii
While federal investigators sift through the wreckage of the twin-engine plane that crashed during takeoff in Hawaii, killing 11 people, investigators said Monday they are looking for older pictures of the plane.
"Specifically front views of the aircraft or rear views of the aircraft," NTSB spokesperson Jennifer Homendy said. "It could be photos, it could be videos and if you have neither but you have information on the aircraft, please send that to us."
The plane is registered to Skydive Sacramento, which is based out of a nondescript office in Lincoln, California.
Homendy said the plane was equipped to carry 13 people but that weight and balance checks needed to be conducted before each flight. She said the airplane banked Sunday shortly after takeoff from Oahu's North Shore and crashed inverted. No one aboard survived, making it the deadliest civil aviation incident since 2011.
The same plane sustained tail damage in a California accident in 2016, Homendy said.
Federal investigators confirmed they are taking a close look at a YouTube video said to be from the 2016 accident, which happened in the delta west of Stockton. In that case, the pilot of the same plane lost control, leading parachuters to jump out before they had planned.
Professor of aeronautics at Sacramento City College Scott Miller said the plane should have gone through several inspections since that accident.
Miller explained its not unusual for one skydiving operation to lease out their plane to another.
"The insides of these aircraft are pretty heavily modified to accommodate the jumpers, to open the door in-flight and it takes a lot of work and FAA certification to get one of these planes set up that way," Miller said.
Miller said investigators will likely talk to the owners in Lincoln.
"Most likely, the aircraft owners would be responsible for that maintenance, and the NTSB is going to want to take a close look at those records," Miller said.
The airport remains closed during the investigation. A preliminary report is expected in 10 to 14 days.