NTSB Report: Terry Dolan didn't respond to low altitude alert from Anoka airport
Brooklyn Park plane crash investigated
An investigation is underway to find out why a plane crashed into a Brooklyn Park home over the weekend. FOX 9’s Mike Manzoni spoke with a veteran pilot to learn more about what investigators could be looking into.
BROOKLYN PARK, Minn. (FOX 9) - The National Transportation Safety Board on Friday released its preliminary investigation of the Brooklyn Park plane crash that killed U.S. Bank executive Terry Dolan.
Dolan, the pilot, was the sole occupant of the plane that crashed on March 29 in Brooklyn Park. The report shows he failed to reciprocate communication with the Anoka County Airport control tower on low altitude alerts minutes before the plane crashed.
Terry Dolan remembered after MN plane crash
Terry Dolan, the U.S. Bank executive presumed dead after a plane crashed into a Brooklyn Park home, is being remembered by friends and family.
What happened
What we know:
The crash report shows the plane initially departed from Naples, Fla., and flew to Des Moines, Iowa to refuel. The plane then headed towards the Anoka County/Blaine Airport.
Preliminary information shows Dolan initially contacted the Anoka County Airport control tower and reported he was inbound for a landing approach. The control tower asked Dolan to verify that he had the current weather information, and then got landing clearance. Dolan repeated the landing clearance, and said he had weather information.
Dolan doesn't respond to control tower
Why you should care:
About four minutes later, the control tower issued a low altitude alert to Dolan, and got no response. About three minutes after that, the control tower tried to contact Dolan again, with no response.
The plane left Des Moines, Iowa, at 11:12 a.m., and crashed at 12:21 p.m. About five nautical miles from the runway threshold, the report says the plane’s airspeed and descent rate rapidly increased, followed by a left turn. The plane then hit trees before hitting a Brooklyn Park home.
Main wreckage found in basement
Local perspective:
The report says the main wreckage from the plane was found in the basement of the home, and covered in debris. Fragments of the left wing were found suspended in the trees and on the ground below in broken tree limbs. Other portions of the plane were found on the residence.
No mechanical anomalies
What they're saying:
The report says no mechanical anomalies were found with the airframe or engine during the onsite examination or wreckage layout. The plane’s damage was consistent with impact forces and post impact fire.
The Source: The National Transportation Safety Board released its preliminary crash report on Friday.