According to WTSP 10 News, on June 22, a 54-year-old man from Wimauma, Florida died in an airplane crash at the Tampa Executive Airport.
The 54-year-old man, Ki L. Martin, was piloting a small engine plane from the airport around 4:00 p.m. Preliminary reports say that Martin went airborne for a few seconds after taking off from the runway. His plane immediately came crashing down after making a steep turn.
After emergency crews arrived, Martin was pronounced dead at the scene.
It is not understood why the small plane crashed, but the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office is conducting an investigation alongside the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
How Does the NTSB Investigate Aviation Accidents?
The NTSB “was established in 1967 to conduct independent investigations of all civil aviation accidents in the United States and major accidents in the other modes of transportation,” according to their site. It is important to note that the NTSB does not carry any enforcement or regulatory powers; their purpose is to improve transportation safety.
For any major accident, the NTSB has the Go Team. This team of four to more than a dozen specialists are sent anywhere in the U.S. to investigate an accident. Members that are on “duty” must be reachable 24 hours a day.
Each investigator of the Go Team is a specialist responsible for focusing on that aspect of the investigation. In aviation, the specialties include:
- Operations – The history of the flight and crewmembers’ duties
- Structures – Documenting the wreckage
- Powerplants – Examination of the engines and propellers
- Systems – Studying the plane’s hydraulic, electrical, pneumatic and other systems
- Air Traffic Control – Reconstructing air traffic services
- Weather – Gathering weather information in and around the accident
- Human Performance – Study of crew performance and any human error
- Survival Factors – Documentation of the forces of impact and all rescue efforts