JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The National Transportation Safety Board released the preliminary report on the plane crash with two Jacksonville attorneys on board that left the pilot dead.
The plane was headed from Jacksonville to Fort Lauderdale last month when it crashed just miles from the airport there. That plane had issues after taking off from Herlong Airport and had to stop at Jacksonville Executive at Craig Airport before flying south. They stopped at JaxEx because a cockpit window wasn't completely sealed.
Steve Browning and Robert Spohrer were in the Piper PA-31 when it crashed 16 miles west of Ft. Lauderdale Executive Airport. They had only bumps and bruises. Now the NTSB report is revealing the final seconds. According to the NTSB, the pilot, Jim Townsend, told crews twice that he "might have to land on the interstate highway." He then asked where the airport was and said he saw the highway. That was the last time the pilot was heard from.
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“Aviate, navigate, communicate. Handle the problem first,” said local attorney and pilot Randy Reep. He said Townsend was probably trying to fix the problem before relaying that he had an emergency. Reep looked through the report with us and noted the problems with the right main fuel tank.
“It appears the pilot was trying to sever the fuel flow, which would be shutting down the engine,” said Reep.
Reep said that could’ve been from a number of issues, including an oil leak, fire, or just the engine failing. Reep said the fact that the plane was upright when it landed points out the pilot's 11,000 hours of flight experience.
"That's not easy to do when you have that engine off board, outside. That's a big skill the pilot executed," said Reep.
We reached out to the two local attorneys on board the plane but have not yet heard back for a comment. The final report has still not been released yet. As soon as it is, we'll be sure to let you know what the NTSB found.
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