New questions after video emerges of Roy Halladay's final flight
There are new questions about the small plane Roy Halladay was flying when he crashed into the Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday near Tampa, Florida.
The new video shows what appears to be Halladay's final moments -- flying close to the water before crashing the ICON A5 he'd owned for less than a month.
The National Transportation Safety Board is now investigating the crash.
"A lot of witnesses have said plane was maneuvering at low altitude," said the NTSB's Noreen Price.
ICON has marketed the A5, which can land on water, as safe and easy to fly even for inexperienced pilots. The small two-seater has a cockpit designed to resemble a car and comes equipped with a parachute.
Halladay's deadly accident is at least the third crash this year. ICON began delivering the A5 in 2015. The price starts at $270,000.
In April, an A5 crashed near Key Largo, and a month later, the company's chief test pilot and director of engineering died in a crash. The NTSB blamed both incidents on pilot error.
"This is extraordinary to have three accidents in 6-7 months," said former former NTSB chair Mark Rosenker. "It certainly is raising questions about its stability, its ease of flight or also the possibility that too many pilots are taking the simplicity for granted, and thereby making mistakes."
In a promotional video, ICON used Halladay saying "this is pretty cool, to think I'd get to take that home is pretty surreal."
The company says it was "devastated" to hear of Halladay's death and will "do everything it can to support the accident investigation going forward."
The FAA declined to comment on questions about the plane's safety record. Last month, ICON's CEO issued new guidance to pilots about low-altitude flying, encouraging flying at least 300 feet, but the FAA generally recommends flying at least 500 feet or higher.
