Engine failure possible cause in Wake County plane crash
KNIGHTDALE, N.C. (WTVD) -- Investigators are examining whether engine failure may have caused a single-engine plane crash on Wednesday in eastern Wake County, after a family member of one of the men on board said the engine stopped working midair.
The sister of one of the occupants told ABC11 that her brother reported the engine stopped working before the plane struck storage tanks and trees and crashed just past the runway at Raleigh East Airport in Knightdale. Officials have not confirmed that account.
"A good pilot kind of melds with their aircraft, and so you can feel the engine's health. If it stops running, you've got to take immediate action," said John Nance, an ABC News aviation analyst.
The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the crash, and aviation experts say investigators will focus on several key factors if engine trouble is suspected.
"There are certain things that the NTSB, National Transportation Safety Board, will look at, and the first is how much fuel was on board, and the second is maintenance," Nance said.
Flight records show the plane departed from Cox Airfield in Apex with Luis Quijano and John Wellman on board.
The aircraft, identified as a Rainbow Cheetah XLS kit plane, went down just south of the Raleigh East Airport runway. Aerial footage showed a broken wing at the crash site.
Both men were taken to WakeMed with non-life-threatening injuries. Quijano's sister said he was in surgery Thursday morning.
The aircraft narrowly missed a nearby business that deals with explosive materials, but first responders said the crash posed no threat to the community.
Investigators are expected to consider a variety of factors alongside the reported loss of engine power.
"Even though the engine may have failed, they'll be looking at everything, including weather, condition of the pilots, and the days before, and all sorts of things that are part of an accident investigation," Nance said.
Aviation experts say pilots facing an emergency are trained to maintain control of the aircraft, establish a glide, and identify a safe landing area before attempting to restart the engine.
"Put it into a glide, with whatever altitude you have, a safe way of continuing to fly the airplane towards someplace. That'll be the second thing, is looking around and figuring out, 'Where can I put this aircraft down?' And then, and only then, you get started trying to restart the engine," Nance said.
Authorities have not confirmed who was flying the plane or what caused the crash.
Quijano's family said they are grateful he survived.
