Preliminary report finds no malfunction in Ashland Co. plane crash
Two people died when a plane crashed in Ashland County on Oct. 23.[NTSB photo]
A preliminary accident report by the National Transportation Safety Board finds no evidence of a mechanical malfunction or failure before a small airplane crashed in Ashland County last month, killing two.
The Oct. 23 crash near Marengo killed 29-year-old Aaron Mika and 21-year-old Aleah Mika.
According to the report, Aaron Mika called his sister-in-law five minutes before the crash and told her that he intended to fly over her house. The report says the plane flew over the house multiple times at low altitude and then entered an aerodynamic loop maneuver but crashed while descending.
The plane’s right wing impacted the roof of the house before the fuselage hit the ground, coming to a rest in the home’s backyard. Both wings separated from the upper fuselage and were found about 20 feet away.
The NTSB’s report is not final.
The plane had taken off from Ashland with an intended destination of Eden Prairie, Minn. FAA records show the plane was owned by a company based in St. Paul.