The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released its preliminary report on a deadly plane crash in Lincoln.
Mitchell W. Janssen, Matthew Hanson, and Kevin Chapman were identified as the victims in the crash.
According to the report, the purpose of the flight was to observe a bald eagle nest near Lincoln. The flight was one of multiple to look at the impact of possible wind turbines on the area’s bird population.
It was during that survey that the plane started circling a patch of woods and started losing altitude.
Investigators said there were no signs of mechanical failures or bird impacts leading up to the crash.
The report also discusses stalling precautions on the plane, saying that the aircraft would stall 53 knots with the flaps up and 48 knots with the flaps down.
The last estimated speed of the aircraft was 50 knots, but the report doesn’t indicate if the flaps were up or down.
