NTSB preliminary report says plane’s pilot did not indicate distress before crash
NEW PHILADELPHIA – The pilot in the April 1 fatal airplane crash in Mill Township was practicing maneuvers and did not make any emergency or distress calls prior to a spiraling nosedive into a field.
The preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board says Orville J. Evans of New Philadelphia was practicing 360-degree turns in the Cessna airplane after departing from Harry Clever Field at about 4:40 p.m. that Tuesday. The crash happened about 24 minutes later 3.6 miles southeast of the airport.
Evans was announcing his flight path over the Common Traffic Advisory Frequency. Two pilots performing an instructional flight heard him announce he was performing a 360 to enter his final approach to the airport. They then saw the plane spinning nose-down toward the ground. Another witness said he observed a twin engine airplane in a steep bank right turn followed by a spiraling nosedive as it descended to the ground.
Evans was a father of five and a passionate flight enthusiast. He had taken off and landed a plane in all 50 states.