A preliminary report issued by US federal security investigators revealed that no engine malfunction was detected in the skydiving plane that crashed in Missouri, an accident that killed all 12 passengers on board.
The Federal Transportation Safety Board issued its preliminary report based on initial examinations of the aircraft wreckage and flight records. The report found no indications of mechanical malfunctions or engine failure prior to the crash that would have disrupted the normal operation of the aircraft.
The council said in its report that the aircraft's engine, a single-engine turboprop, appeared to be producing sufficient power at the time of the accident.
Jeff Gozzetti, president of the aviation risk disclosure consultancy Gozzetti, commented: "I was surprised by their conclusion that the engine was running and producing power, as I was initially inclined to believe there was a possible engine malfunction and that the pilot was trying to return to the airport."
The report also noted that a fuel sample taken from the refueling truck after the accident was free of sediment or impurities, and that a review of the parachute jump operators' programs showed that the aircraft adhered to the required weight and balance limits for the flight.
The report did not raise any concerns about the weather conditions or the competence of the pilot, who had accumulated more than 4,100 flight hours and was working his second consecutive jump season for the flight operator, Skydive Kansas City.
Investigators explained that the plane was not equipped with a voice recorder, similar to those used in commercial aircraft, and that this was not mandatory.
But the report noted that investigators found damaged GoPro cameras among the wreckage of the plane.
The federal agency's investigation into the incident is still ongoing, and the final report is expected to take a year or more to complete.
