WAUWATOSA, Wis. — A preliminary report released Tuesday afternoon details the final moments before an 18-year-old student pilot crashed in a Wauwatosa yard last month.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) preliminary report says Daniel Perelman was performing touch and go landings, what experts tell TMJ4 News is a normal practice for student pilots.
After one successful take-off and landing, Perelman again took off from Timmerman Airport. It was during this second take-off where the report details what happened.
Perelman’s airplane started to gain altitude and at around 100 feet above ground level had a ground-speed at about 42 mph. The report says that speed decreased to 29 mph at 175 feet above ground level.
The report says Perelman’s airplane remained at 175 feet above ground level for about five seconds, slowly increasing its speed to 36 mph. Then, the report says Perelman’s plane suddenly entered a rapid descent to the ground.
During his prior successful take-off, Perelman’s plane had a ground-speed between 55 and 60 mph, according to the report.
The NTSB notes, Perelman radioed to air traffic control that he had engine failure and shortly after, reported he did not have the wing flaps up.
The NTSB preliminary report is not a final cause of the crash. The final cause won’t be known for several months, if not longer.
Read the full report here:
