Aerial flip, lack of flight plan noted in glider crash report
A preliminary report on the fatal crash of an ultralight aircraft on the Big Island last month has been issued by the National Transportation Safety Board.
The NTSB notes witness accounts that indicated the powered glider was about 350 feet above Kealakekua Bay when it flipped over April 21. The aircraft plunged into the water when its wing folded around the fuselage.
The NTSB says no flight plan was filed for the sightseeing tour.
Tedd Robert Hecklin, owner of Tedd's Flying Adventures, was piloting the two-seater aircraft. He and passenger Kathryn Moran were pronounced dead at Kona Community Hospital after being pulled from the water by witnesses.
