The small airplane that crashed near a Bennington airport last month, killing a school psychologist, was nearly out of gas, according to a preliminary report.
The Oct. 25 crash claimed the life of Chaim Weiss Z”L, 58, of Spring Valley, Rockland County, a psychologist for the Kiryas Joel School District in Orange County. He was alone in the plane.
The four-seat Cessna 172 Weiss left Greenwood Lake Airport in Milford, N.J., at 5:30 p.m. that day, according to a preliminary report issued by the National Transportation Safety Board.
It crashed into Whipstock Mountain, about a mile and a half west of William H. Morse State Airport, at 7:10 p.m.,
Investigators found that both fuel tanks were ruptured but no measurable fuel was found. Only about 1.5 ounces of residual fuel was in the fuel lines.
The report also notes a witness heard the engine running normally, followed by the sound of an impact, then silence.
No evidence was found in the pilot’s log books that he had ever flown to the airport before, the report states.
Family members said Weiss said he was going for a short flight and they had no idea why he ended up as far away as Bennington.
The pilot’s actions just before the crash indicated he was not familiar with the airport’s landing rules, the report says.
Witnesses told investigators Weiss was performing right-hand turning patterns for runway 13 when the published pattern for that runway requires left-hand traffic due to high terrain, according to the report.
The witnesses observed the airplane attempt two approaches, each followed by a go-around about 20 feet above ground level before he hit the mountain.
The report states the wreckage path was approximately 143 feet in length and the craft’s fuselage was inverted and the left wing was severed and found lodged in a tree about 35 feet above the ground. The right wing remained attached to the fuselage and flight control cables and cockpit controls were working properly before the crash, the report says.
A final report is due in 12 to 18 months, according to the NTSB.
(Source: Times Union)
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4 Responses
Has anyone considered that he was hijacked and forced to fly there?
ny100k,
He was the only one on the plane….
He was a real tzadik, an ish hachesed,
there are no words to describe what he did for our children here in rockland county,who can take over his seat with all those files of yiddishe kinder waiting for him, as one of his patients woke up that morning saying to his father excited “Taty today is Monday, i”m going to doctor Weiss”
so his father told him “Shefala doctor Weiss is not here any more he did not wake up today” son the son responded “but taty if i woke up today why could”t he?
CHAVAL CHAVAL CHAVAL !!!!
CHAVAL AL DIAVDIN !!!!
A talmud Chacham a baal chesed and a tzadik. Baruch Dayan Emes. We do not understand the ways of Hashem.