Overview
- Federal investigators say the pilot transmitted “abort, abort, 32X” shortly after takeoff from Crystal Airport.
- Air traffic control cleared a departure from Runway 32 and then cleared the aircraft to land on any runway after the call.
- Airport video showed a left turn, a drop behind trees, and a near-vertical, nose-down crash in a nearby park with a post-impact fire.
- Audio from several cameras captured the engine running up to impact, and investigators found fuel in the system with no obvious cylinder damage.
- Investigators reported the landing gear was down during the short climb and at impact, and the crash killed pilot Dr. Joseph Cass and North Dakota state representative Liz Conmy.