The ill-fated pilot of the plane that crashed into Lake Killarney was warned about engine deficiencies on his Cessna 402C aircraft but “shrugged it off” hours before he and the eight other people on board crashed to their deaths, an accident report prepared by the Civil Aviation Department said.
Minutes before the crash pilot Nelson Hanna was also alerted by an air traffic controller that white smoke was trailing from his left engine during take-off, however, he did not declare an emergency nor did he report any engine or mechanical failure to the control room.
The plane’s left engine failed, however, Hanna turned off his plane’s right engine, which showed no mechanical failures, causing the aircraft to lose its thrust while it was 150 to 300 feet in the air.
