A preliminary report has been released on the early June Madisonville plane crash.
The National Transportation Safety Broad (NTSB) says the plane had no obvious mechanical issues affecting operation, and appeared to have a moving propeller and engine power, when it hit trees on approach to the Madisonville Municipal Airport runway.
The report incorrectly stated that all five passengers had died, and was updated to reflect that all five were injured, and not deceased. The ages of the passengers, all men, are 19, 22, 22, 29, and 41. Authorities also said there was no reason to believe the flight was connected to any sort of criminal activity.
The pilot of the plane was killed, and identified as Apollo Diaz of Kansas City.
The plane departed Port Isabel, with an intended destination of Madisonville, June 13th. The aircraft, a Piper PA 32-260 hit trees about 50 feet tall south of the runway, and crashed. The report states that the trees showed damaged consistent with propeller strikes, and therefore determined hat the plane had no mechanical failure that hindered operation.
The full report has not yet been released.