Friday, September 15, 2006
Washington DC -The National Transportation Safety Board has issued a report on a fatal plane crash in Pike County that says the plane's engine was operating at the time of the accident.
The September second crash on a fog-bound hillside claimed the life of Eastern Kentucky native Rush Bradford. The 65-year-old Bradford was headed for the Big Sandy Regional Airport in Martin County with plans to attend a family reunion. The N-T-S-B says the Murphy, North Carolina resident was flying in weather conditions that required an instrument-rated pilot.
The report says Bradford was certified, but not instrument-rated. He also had not filed a flight plan. The single-engine, two-passenger Cessna 150-K was being flown near Shelby Gap when it crashed into a hillside and caught fire.
Pikeville- Local officials have speculated that weather was probably the contributing factor in the crash. Doug Tackett Director of Pike County Emergency Management spoke to EKB News, saying that while he hadn’t read the NTSB’s report, he feels that weather was probably what caused the plane to crash.
“I’m convinced that the weather probably played a large role in the plane crash.” Tackett continued “The visibility was really poor that morning and I think that was probably the main factor.”
Tackett also spoke on a meeting held last night, in which officials discussed what rescuers could’ve have done more efficiently. “Everyone was pretty well pleased with the overall outcome (of search efforts).”
“Just a couple of little issues…one was communications. We had on Sunday, quit a bit of radio traffic and some of that traffic really wasn’t necessary and they could’ve gone to a talkaround channel and kept that repeater channel free.”
The meeting was held last night at the Dorton fire department.
The September second crash on a fog-bound hillside claimed the life of Eastern Kentucky native Rush Bradford. The 65-year-old Bradford was headed for the Big Sandy Regional Airport in Martin County with plans to attend a family reunion. The N-T-S-B says the Murphy, North Carolina resident was flying in weather conditions that required an instrument-rated pilot.
The report says Bradford was certified, but not instrument-rated. He also had not filed a flight plan. The single-engine, two-passenger Cessna 150-K was being flown near Shelby Gap when it crashed into a hillside and caught fire.
Pikeville- Local officials have speculated that weather was probably the contributing factor in the crash. Doug Tackett Director of Pike County Emergency Management spoke to EKB News, saying that while he hadn’t read the NTSB’s report, he feels that weather was probably what caused the plane to crash.
“I’m convinced that the weather probably played a large role in the plane crash.” Tackett continued “The visibility was really poor that morning and I think that was probably the main factor.”
Tackett also spoke on a meeting held last night, in which officials discussed what rescuers could’ve have done more efficiently. “Everyone was pretty well pleased with the overall outcome (of search efforts).”
“Just a couple of little issues…one was communications. We had on Sunday, quit a bit of radio traffic and some of that traffic really wasn’t necessary and they could’ve gone to a talkaround channel and kept that repeater channel free.”
The meeting was held last night at the Dorton fire department.
# posted by Justin Mullins @ 4:38 PM 
