TITUSVILLE, Fla. — The National Transportation Safety Administration this week released the final report on a fatal 2015 plane crash near Titusville.
The cause of the crash was determined to be partly lack of control and poor judgment by the pilot, David Gibbs, 59, of Orlando, the report said.
Part of the blame also fell on air traffic controllers, with the report citing a “lack of action” as a contributing factor in the crash.
The main issue on the day of the crash, Aug. 26, 2015, was severe weather, which caused turbulence and reduced visibility, the report said.
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Gibbs had taken off from Orlando Executive Airport in a twin-engine Cessna and was flying to Titusville when, at about 4 p.m., flight controllers reported losing contact with him.
He tried to land once, missed the approach and was circling back for a second attempt when the plane crashed into the Indian River, officials said.
Gibbs knew about weather issues at Space Coast Regional Airport but continued toward the facility, which proved to be a mistake, crash investigators found.
“It is likely that, given the adverse weather conditions in the area, the airplane encountered turbulence or windshear associated with thunderstorms, which resulted in the pilot’s loss of airplane control,” the report said.
Flight controllers had a responsibility to provide Gibbs with timely and accurate information about the severity of the weather, which they did not do, investigators said.