The charter jet that crashed into an apartment building Tuesday in Akron, Ohio, was banking to the left when it clipped power lines, hit structures and an embankment, its left wing striking the ground first, the NTSB said Wednesday, citing a surveillance video from a nearby business. All nine on board the Hawker jet — two pilots and seven passengers — were confirmed dead. No one on the ground was injured in the crash, which cut power to about 1,500 people and started an intense fire that destroyed the apartment complex, which was unoccupied at the time.
Investigators also recovered the aircraft’s cockpit voice recorder and said there were no distress calls. “The airplane that landed beforehand was on that same frequency. They stated they did not hear any distress calls or anything of that nature,” investigator Jim Silliman said at a media briefing. The jet is owned by Florida-based charter company Execuflight and was carrying employees of a real estate company based in Boca Raton, according to WKYC in Cleveland. The aircraft departed Dayton, Ohio, for Akron and was on final approach when it crashed around 3 p.m. IFR conditions prevailed at KAKR Tuesday afternoon, and FlightAware data shows the aircraft’s track approaching the airport from the southeast and turning onto final for Runway 25.
