Mesa, Arizona — It was just another Saturday for Bob Reed.
Every day he comes out to Mesa’s Falcon Field Airport to build planes and helicopters and work on projects. But last Saturday morning, he told ABC15 that he spoke to the pilot who crashed the plane.
Just before 8 a.m. Saturday, the Federal Aviation Administration announced that a single-engine Sokata TB 30 Epsilon plane had crashed in the Superstition Mountains. Two people were on board, but both died.
Federal officials said the plane had taken off from Falcon Field and was on its way to Payson.
The National Transportation Safety Board said the plane had crashed in a “mountainous area” and was destroyed in a post-crash fire. Many people in the area heard crashes and saw smoke rising from the mountains.
But before taking off, Reed said he met the pilots who would fly those planes. He was always strolling around the airport to greet his friends and met two men with two of the planes.
Until that day, Reid said he had never seen a plane or a plane and had been near the hangar for decades.
“Having never seen them before, I thought I knew everyone at the airport. , gave us a quick overview and explanation, and they seemed a little rushed,” Reid said.
Reid said two men he spoke to appeared to be in their late 40s or early 50s, including the man he believed was piloting the crashed plane.
“It’s very tragic and I feel sorry for his family,” he said.
Reed himself has extensive experience in the aviation industry. Although he can no longer fly, he told ABC15 that he has more than 450 flight hours in formation, among other flying experiences. The plane is believed to have been flying in formation before the crash.
Prop planes like the one they flew are difficult to fly in formation, he said.
The Pinal County Sheriff’s Office said it will take “some time” to identify and name the victims of the accident, adding that they plan to take either DNA tests or dental records. .
The NTSB said an interim report on the accident detailing the facts and circumstances of the accident is expected to be released in about two to three weeks. A final report with all possible causes and factors is expected to take one to two years.
The NTSB asks that anyone who witnesses a collision contact witness@ntsb.gov.
