NTSB not sure yet what caused plane crash
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By Sheila Stogsdill
Published: May 8, 2008
MIAMI, OK — A preliminary investigation released by the National Transportation Safety Board does not identify the reason behind a fiery plane crash in April that claimed the life of an Ottawa County man.
Clair Eugene Tromsness, 72, of Quapaw, died April 28 when his experimental, single-engine turbo prop airplane crashed into a concrete barrier median on the Will Rogers Turnpike near the Miami exit.
Tromsness, a certified private pilot, was the plane's sole occupant. He had told family members earlier that the home-buil,t single-engine aircraft, modeled after a World War II fighter plane, was having problems.
The plane's propeller, engine and cockpit were strewn across the westbound side of the roadway and the tail of the plane was on the eastbound side of the highway.
An on-scene examination of the airplane was conducted by the Federal Aviation Administration. According to an FAA inspector, the airplane, which was made mostly of composite material, was destroyed by fire. The only identifiable parts of the airplane that remained were the propeller, engine, one flap, a section of the vertical stabilizer, the elevator, the landing gear and both wing spars.
The cockpit area, including the instrument panel, avionics and radios, were also destroyed by fire, according to the report.
No flight plan was filed for the local flight that departed the Miami Municipal Airport, the report stated.
Several witnesses reported seeing the plane spiraling as it descended, the report stated.
One witness reported the airplane was about 500 feet above the ground and heading southeast as it descended in a nose-dive before hitting the median barrier and exploding into flames. A second witness traveling on the interstate also saw the plane.
"It (the plane) started losing altitude fast, rolled over three times then hit the road left wing first, nose slightly upward. The plane burst into flames upon impact as it hit the center road barrier," the witness told investigators.
A third witness told investigators, "I watched as the airplane suddenly dipped right then dipped left and did a complete roll. It managed to get upright just when it hit the interstate...."
Tromsness held a private pilot certificate for airplane single-engine land and glider. His last FAA third class medical was issued on November 27, 2007. At that time, he reported a total of 3,012 flight hours, the report stated.
Roland Herwig, FAA spokesman, said earlier a final report on why the plane crashed could take from two months to a year to complete.
