MARTINSBURG, W.Va. — Investigators say the pilot of a plane that crashed at an air show in West Virginia was doing a climb and rollover maneuver with another aircraft before his deadly descent.
Spokesman Peter Knudson of the National Transportation Safety Board said Sunday that John “Jack” Mangan was about 300 feet above the runway when he began his climb at about 275 mph.
Knudson said Mangan’s T-28 Warbird did not complete its roll before it began its descent.
He said there was no indication of trouble before Mangan’s aircraft plunged to the ground.
Knudson said the investigation is likely to be difficult because of the damage to the plane from the fiery crash.
Sean Mangan, 27, said his father instructed him to fly and always stressed attention to detail, preparation and safety.
“He was the best pilot I know,” Sean Mangan said of his father. “Flying was his passion. He was a great pilot and a wonderful parent and husband.”
Mangan was a retired Air Force officer who graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy.
The Associated Press
