RANDOLPH COUNTY, N.C. — The Randolph County pilot who died when his plane crashed into the woods at night reportedly told someone he was tired just before takeoff, according to the just released NTSB report. The pilot also had not logged any nighttime flight hours since 2008, and had only logged 4.6 hours of night travel in total.
Those are just a few of the new details revealed in the preliminary report of an Oct. 4 plane crash in Asheboro conducted by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
An NTSB Spokesperson told WFMY that this is just the preliminary report containing what the investigator learned on site in Asheboro. It does not contain any information about the cause of the crash. The final report will take 12-24 months to complete.
Bryan Andrew Manzer, 61, of Asheboro and Steven Neil Lewis, 30, of Liberty were both killed in the crash.
The private pilot and a student pilot-rated passenger took off from Knoxville Downtown Island Airport (DKX) in Knoxville, Tennessee at about 6:30 p.m. on Oct 4. The pilot had flown to Knoxville on that same day to buy another plane, according to the NTSB report. The seller noted that the pilot who crashed "prior to departure, made a remark about being tired, and that his passenger needed to be 'on his game.' "
Some flight instruments were also not working. The pilot "reported that the vacuum pump on N2FB was not operational and the vacuum instruments were not reliable," the NTSB report states. "The accident pilot was aware of the vacuum problem but did not voice any concerns about flying at night with the condition."
The NTSB reviewed the pilot's flight logs, finding he logged only 4.6 total hours of night time flight -- with no logged night time flight since 2008. The NTSB report also notes that witnesses at a nearby high school football game saw the plane nose dive toward the ground at high speeds.
The plane crashed into an 80-foot-tall oak tree about two miles south-southeast of the airport in Asheboro where the pilot was trying to land.
"The main wreckage was located about 75 ft east of the initial impact point. The wings and fuselage were highly fragmented. There was no fire. The engine was separated from the airframe during ground impact," the NTSB report states. "Flight control continuity was confirmed from the cockpit area to the flight control surfaces."