Experienced pilot explains what could have caused Colonie plane crash
NewsChannel 13 wanted to get a better understanding of the crash after the National Transportation Safety Board said there was no mechanical issue with the plane.
The NTSB came to that conclusion in a preliminary report released Tuesday, July 2.
The only person on that plane was killed, pilot Natalie Gillis from Canada. Gillis crashed just minutes after taking off at Albany International Airport on June 17.
The report said Gillis’ Piper PA 31 Navajo plane struggled to reach 800 feet.
Sam Barner is a flight instructor and experienced pilot. He’s clocked thousands of hours in a Navajo plane.
He said if the NTSB said there were no mechanical issues, there’s only two other possible outcomes.
The first one: is low fuel. However, we know that was not an issue because Albany Airport officials have previously said Gillis’ plane fueled up before leaving.
Barner said the second outcome is more realistic: he believes Gillis’ seat was not properly set in place.
“What it does is just move the weight towards the back. Everything towards the back,” he explains.
That means when Gillis was taking off, her seat moved too far away from the controls to operate the plane properly.
“The airplane can’t fly in that position, and it probably just turned over in what’s called an aerodynamic stall. It has nothing whatsoever to do with the engine. Only the wings. An aerodynamic stall is pretty hard to recover from in a Navajo if you’re not high enough.”
Barner wants to make it clear this is his professional opinion. Without seeing the plane that crashed himself, he won’t know for sure what exactly happened.
An autopsy was performed on Gillis’ body. The results have not yet been made public.
This is why the NTSB’s investigation is extremely important. A full report with probable cause won’t be ready for at least 18 months to two years.
Barner also gave an example that makes this easier to understand:
“It’s just like if you’re in a car and go up a hill. You feel your seat going back a little bit because gravity is trying to pull you back a little bit.”