The crash remains under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration.
Maine’s LITCHFIELD — The names of the two pilots who perished in a plane crash on Tuesday while undergoing flying training in Litchfield have been released.
According to a press release sent by the Kennebec County Sheriff’s Office on Thursday, James Shepard-Kegl, 69, of North Yarmouth was recognised as the instructing pilot and Jumaane Omar Stanley Melville, 37, of St. Petersburg, Florida, was identified as the student pilot.
The only individuals aboard the flight were the two pilots.
The NTSB reported that the collision occurred at 5:40 p.m. on Tuesday, a half-mile from Wales Airport in Litchfield. The aircraft involved was a Beechcraft 99, which was part of a Part 135 freight trip.
The aircraft, registered as flight number WIG634, was flown by Wiggins Airways, according to an FAA preliminary investigation. Based in Manchester, New Hampshire, Wiggins Airways is a cargo airline that flies to and from the Northeast. According to a report from FlightAware, the plane that crashed on Tuesday allegedly took off from Lewiston/Auburn at around 5:09 p.m. and was expected to arrive in Wales, Maine at around 5:40 p.m.
A Wiggins Airways representative stated in a news release on Wednesday that the plane was leased by the business and that there were two crew members on board when it crashed.
Wiggins Airways President Donna Nixon expressed her sadness on Wednesday. “We are filled with sorrow at the passing of our flight crew members,” Nixon said. “With due respect for the pilots’ families and friends, their identities will not be disclosed. Our priority is getting our staff and their families through this trying period.
During a press conference on Wednesday afternoon, Ralph Hicks, a senior air safety investigator with the NTSB, answered questions and provided updates.
Hicks stated that there were two pilots in the aircraft, but since the jet was being used for training and both pilots had access to the flight controls, the preliminary inquiry was unable to identify which pilot was in the air at the time of the disaster. Additionally, the aircraft lacked a black box, and the pilots had no communication with air traffic control.
According to Hicks, the collision was a “high-energy impact,” with a huge debris field spanning 200 yards at an angle of around 25 degrees before it struck the earth. Hicks stated that no signs of a fire during or after the collision were discovered. The NTSB anticipates that the inquiry may take several months to complete as it looks into maintenance records, both pilots, and potential witnesses.
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