Investigators: Small Plane That Crashed Into Riverside Home Had Engine Difficulty
RIVERSIDE (CBSLA.com/AP) — A preliminary report by investigators says the pilot of a small plane that crashed in Riverside last month had difficulty starting one engine.
Three people were killed outright in the Feb. 27 crash and one of two survivors died Tuesday.
The report Wednesday by National Transportation Safety Board investigators says the 83-year-old pilot started the right engine of the Cessna T310Q and made several unsuccessful attempts to start the left engine before it began running. The report also noted that the pilot had trouble communicating with air traffic controllers.
The plane departed for San Jose and began a left turn as it entered clouds. Video then showed the plane descending in a slight left-wing-low attitude about a mile from the airport.
The preliminary report cites a range of other facts about the flight but did not point to engine failure as a possible cause of the crash.
(© Copyright 2017 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)