NTSB official: Investigation into Marietta plane crash to look at icing, take months

The National Transportation Safety Board has identified the pilot in a plane crash that killed a retired Columbus firefighter and another man in Marietta on Tuesday and will look at icing as a possible cause, but a final investigation report will take months.

During a media briefing on Wednesday morning, Aaron McCarter, a NTSB aviation accident investigator, said the final report will likely take nine to 12 months to be completed and signed off on by the agency. A preliminary report with information may be available within about 10 days.

Latest information:What we know about the plane crash that killed two in Marietta after leaving Columbus

McCarter said the twin-engine 1974 Beechcroft King Air E90 departed John Glenn Columbus International Airport around 6:40 a.m. Tuesday and had been headed to Parkersburg, West Virginia.

Around 7:10 a.m. Tuesday, McCarter said the plane, which was being operated by 45-year-old Eric Seevers, of Parkersburg, West Virginia, and Timothy Gifford, 49, of Orient, made contact with air traffic controllers in Parkersburg. The plane was about three miles northeast of the airport and had been cleared to land, McCarter said.

McCarter said the plane had not exhibited any signs of distress, and there had been no distress signals sent by the pilots prior to the crash. He said there were reports of potential icing in the area due to the temperatures and that the investigation will look at the aircraft's deicing capabilities.

About 40 seconds after being cleared for landing, the plane made a "very steep angle" descent, crashing into the parking lot of the Pioneer Buick GMC dealership on Pike Street in Marietta. No injuries were reported on the ground; however, several vehicles in the dealership parking lot were damaged.

Rod Taylor, general manager of the dealership, said 15 cars that were parked on the lot were damaged. Most of those vehicles were owned by customers and awaiting repairs at the body shop. Owners of the vehicles have been contacted, Taylor said.

Ten of the 15 vehicles are believed to be total losses. Taylor said one wall of the dealership's building suffered minor damage from the fire that occurred after the crash, but the building was structurally sound. The dealership is open while the investigation into the crash is ongoing.

Video that showed part of the crash did not immediately indicate the plane was on fire before impact, McCarter said. The video showed the plane had multiple lights on that were shining brightly, possibly giving the impression of flames. The investigation will look at whether there was any fire onboard prior to impact to confirm that, he said.

The NTSB had a team of investigators on the ground Wednesday to look at every aspect of the crash. McCarter said the investigation will look at the aircraft, the environment and both Gifford and Seevers. Records from the Federal Aviation Administration show both men were licensed pilots.

Gifford got his license in 2019 and had a medical assessment in March that stated he must wear glasses when flying. Seevers got his pilot’s license on June 18.

Gifford is a retired firefighter from the Columbus Division of Fire, according to Steve Stein, president of International Association of Fire Fighters Local 67, which represents city firefighters. He joined the division in 2006 and retired in May.

FAA records show the plane was owned by Avintel Management LLC. The plane's engines were manufactured in Canada and investigators from Canada were also on scene Wednesday, McCarter said.

McCarter said the plane was not required to have a "black box" recording device on board, however, some of the equipment on the aircraft would serve similar purposes and capture information about altitude, pilot actions and the plane's functioning. The plane's wreckage will be transported to a facility in Delaware for further examination after the scene investigation is complete, he said.

The Ohio Highway Patrol and FAA are also involved in the investigation.

bbruner@dispatch.com

@bethany_bruner

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio plane crash investigation could to take months