WASHINGTON, D.C. — An investigation report released today by the National Transportation Safety Board revealed pilot error as the probable cause of the deadly plane crash in the Belleplain section of Dennis Township on June 21, 2008.
Dennis McGurk Jr., the pilot, 37, and his wife Oksana, 34, of Mays Landing were both killed.
Arletta Creamer of Belleplain witnessed the crash. “The plane went over head once and headed south and then flew back right over head. He turned his engine off, and it did not go back on. He kept spiraling, and I said to my daughter-in-law, ‘I don’t think he’s going to recover.’ Next thing you know, there was a big ball of fire — he went down”, the report said.
According to the report, the F1 Harmon Rocket McGurk, was flying and lost power while performing acrobatics. The NTSB investigation revealed McGurk attempted to restart the engine before the crash. “Evidence indicates that the pilot attempted to restart the engine, and that the airplane impacted wires while the pilot attempted to execute a forced landing to a road”.
According to the report the aircraft flight manual advised that, “Prolonged uncoordinated flight with low fuel quantities may uncover the fuel tank outlets, causing fuel starvation and engine failure.”
McGurk however, had modified the left fuel tank with an inverted fuel system, to allow the engine to operate while the airplane was in unusual attitudes, or inverted.
The report said the floor-mounted fuel selector was found set to the right tank.
The NTSB determined the probable cause of the crash was, “a total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation as a result of the pilot’s failure to select the proper tank prior to performing aerobatics.”
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