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noviembre 16, 2023
A 21-year-old pilot was heard begging for assist navigating the skies in poor visibility in Florida – then asking air visitors management to inform his mother and father that he cherished them moments earlier than he crashed and died.
“I don’t suppose I can maintain my altitude with out descending,” the younger man flying a single-engine Cherokee Piper 180, which he had purchased simply two weeks earlier, mentioned over the radio, according to audio obtained by WUFT.
“What number of miles am I from Gainesville?” he pleaded quickly earlier than crashing in a state park there Tuesday afternoon.
“I’m dropping altitude,” he advised the air visitors controller earlier than asking them to cross on the heart-wrenching message of affection to his mother and father.
The younger pilot killed was not formally recognized in an preliminary Federal Aviation Administration report.
Nevertheless, the doomed airplane had been purchased simply two weeks earlier by Adrien James Valentine, 21, of Melrose, Florida, according to WUFT, who mentioned the younger man’s dad hung up the cellphone when requested concerning the tragedy.
Kissimmee airport supervisor Ramon Senorans advised the outlet that the airplane took off beneath visible flight guidelines, or VFR, that means pilots are required to stay away from clouds and preserve a minimal of 1,000 toes above floor stage.
The pilot was reportedly warned that his vacation spot airport was beneath instrument flight guidelines, IFR, that means flying by visible references is unsafe and should be carried out utilizing navigation devices.
Moments earlier than takeoff, the controller inspired him to attend as a result of it appeared that circumstances had been enhancing.
“It seems to be prefer it’s updating now to be not IFR, exhibiting a couple of (clouds) at 800 (toes),” the controller mentioned. “So, should you stand by a minute or two we’ll be VFR.”
The pilot took off about three minutes later, in response to the outlet.
However after encountering poor visibility later, he ended up crashing into the bottom at about 300 mph. Rescuers discovered the wreckage simply earlier than sundown Tuesday night time.
On Wednesday, the FAA mentioned in a preliminary report solely that the airplane, whose pilot it didn’t determine, crashed because of “unknown circumstances.”
The Nationwide Transportation Security Board and the FAA are investigating the accident.
