LEXINGTON, N.C. — The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is releasing more details about a deadly plane crash in Lexington.
The pilot, Raymond John Ackley, 43, from Charlotte died Feb. 16, after taking off from the Lexington-Davidson County Airport before crashing into the back of a tractor-trailer on I-85 in Lexington. The Highway Patrol said they believe the pilot experienced a mechanical issue before going down. The FAA said the plane was a twin-engine Beechcraft Baron 58 airplane.
The NTSB released a preliminary report about the crash. They said there were three witnesses who were on the airport ramp and observed a portion of the takeoff roll, rotation and initial climb of the plane before losing sight of it.
A witness who flew for a major airline reported the right engine was spewing dense white smoke which was not accurately depicted by the airport video. NTSB officials said the airport security video captured white smoke trailing the airplane. Witnesses said as the plane continued to climb, the landing gear retracted, the right engine quit, and the propeller stopped. They were able to see the plane stall before disappearing behind the terrain. Video taken from a truck close to the crash showed the airplane in a very slight nose-up position immediately before crashing with the tractor-trailer. Another witness said they saw white or blue colored smoke trailing the left engine and the airplane looked like it had no power. The NTSB said the airplane banked to the left, stalled, pitched nose down, and disappeared before crashing.
The impact of the crash caused the tractor-trailer to roll over before it caught on fire. The driver was able to escape with minor injuries.
The wreckage was recovered for further examination.