A pilot of a Universal Stinson 108 airplane died in an accident after trying to avoid a turtle on the runway. A passenger also lost their life and another was seriously injured.
The incident occurred in the state of North Carolina on June 3. A report released by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) revealed that the aircraft was completely destroyed after the crash.
According to the report, the plane had taken off from runway 2 at Sugar Valley Airport, in the city of Mocksville, about 30 km from Winston-Salem.
The aircraft performed a traffic pattern flight. At the time of landing, the airport operator warned about the presence of a turtle on the runway.
According to the operator’s account, who witnessed the scene through a window, the pilot touched down approximately 425 meters from the threshold of the 738-meter runway.
The pilot reportedly lifted the right landing gear wheel to avoid hitting the animal. A man who was cutting grass near the runway reported the same as the operator but noticed that the plane’s wings started to wobble.
The plane took off again, but shortly after, the man heard a loud impact and saw smoke about 70 meters from the end of the runway.
Photos: Wikimedia Commons. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
