WOODBINE– Student pilot Dr. David Rola, 59, was under stress at the time he crashed his P2002 Sierra sport plane on a runway at the Woodbine airport a final report on a 2008 plane crash shows.
Rola, an Ocean County doctor, walked away from the crash and was not seriously injured.
The National Transportation Safety Board released a final report this month on the accident. Rola, a student pilot who had logged 75 hours of flying time, was practicing touch-and-go landings.
According to the report Rola stated that he was under stress due to an issue related to work, and he should not have been flying that day. He also reported, “he was much less focused than he should have been”, and he intended to perform touch-and-go landings.
Federal investigators concluded that pilot error was to blame in not maintaining proper air speed. The pilot’s emotional and mental state also contributed to the accident, the investigators found.
See full report here
