NTSB releases report on small plane crash in Jamestown that left 2 pilots hospitalized

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) -- In a preliminary report, the National Transportation Safety Board released new details on the final moments of an Aug. 5 small plane crash at the Jamestown Airport that left two pilots hospitalized.

The pilot and co-pilot were flying in a Cessna 750 from Chautauqua County Dunkirk Airport (DKK) and were on their way to Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport to collect airplane parts and a mechanic for work on another plane at DKK, the report said.

According to the NTSB, the air controller tried contacting the crew multiple times, but received no replies and started communicating on the emergency frequency. Later on, the controller had some contact with the crew, but the transmissions were "very garbled," the report said.

The final transmission from the crew was, "we are about to land at Jamestown," the NTSB said. Track data showed the plane was aligned with the runway and hit the ground at about 10:11 a.m. "in a flat attitude about 200 feet before the approach end of runway 25," according to the report.

The NTSB said the pilot was seriously injured and the co-pilot sustained minor injuries.

The co-pilot said at about 5,000 feet in their initial climb, he smelled "electrical smoke," but the pilot didn't, the NTSB said. The co-pilot then couldn't smell it, but when the plane reached 8,000 feet, both the co-pilot and pilot smelled the smoke again. Both pilots said there was no visible smoke, the report said.

As they were descending about 10,000 feet, the co-pilot said the airplane was "trimming down and accelerating... well over 250 [knots] with the nose trimming down," according to the NTSB. He also said caution signals were lighting up along with other system messages when he tried contacting the controller.

The copilot said throughout the flight, no messages were displayed in relation to the engine and none of the engines malfunctioned.

The NTSB said after they landed, the cabin filled with smoke and the airplane was surrounded by fire. The pilot then opened the main cabin door and both the pilot and co-pilot exited the plane "without assistance," according to the report.

The pilot reported 17,000 total hours of flight experience on Sept. 6, 2023, and the co-pilot reported 12,950 total hours on June 7, 2024. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the plane's last inspection was on July 11, 2024, and it had 2,677 total hours of operation.