A preliminary report released Tuesday by the National Transportation Safety Board says the pilot of the corporate jet that collided with a small plane at the Marion Airport on April 2nd apparently never saw the other craft prior to the crash.
The jet was landing on one runway while the small plane was taking off from another runway that intersects the other one.
Two Pipe Creek Township firefighters from Madison County died when their small craft struck the jet, owned by the Avis Corporation of Upland. 31-year old Kyle Hibst and 31-year old David Wittkamper…both from Elwood… were pronounced dead at the scene. No one aboard the Avis jet was injured.
The initial report from the N-T-S-B does not assess blame.
The final report on the crash won’t be completed for 12 to 18-months.
