A 70-year-old Wisconsin man was killed in a fiery crash Sunday, Nov. 8, when his military-style jet plunged into a field in Mayfield, Kentucky, shortly after takeoff.
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jet → kill → takeoff
The accident turned a cross-country flight alongside his daughter into a sudden tragedy.
The pilot, identified as James Alan Michaels of Dousman, Wisconsin, and his 35-year-old daughter, Tonie Michaels, were flying separate L-39 Albatros jets.
"The father and daughter were flying back to Wisconsin from Mississippi," the Graves County Sheriff's Office told Fox News Digital.
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Office → turn → Mississippi
The pair had been at an air show and stopped at an airport in Mayfield to get fuel, the sheriff's office said.
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office → stop → fuel
After takeoff, "they were gaining altitude and the deceased ... said he was having issues," the sheriff's office said.
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office → gain → issues
"He was going to turn and go back to the airport.
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He → go → airport
"
Soon after, "he radioed ... that he was not going to be able to land," the sheriff's office said.
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office → radio → ?
"We think he tried to land in an open field," the sheriff's office said.
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office → think → field
However, at around 2:08 p.m., the plane went down just off Spence Chapel Road near Interstate 69 and Ky. 131.
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plane → go → Interstate
"It hit a ditch in that field," the sheriff's office said.
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office → hit → field
"The ditch seems to be the cause of the main impact," the sheriff's office said.
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office → seem → impact
"The plane caught fire and actually rolled."
The pilot was the only person on the plane.
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pilot → catch → plane
He was pronounced dead at the scene.
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He → pronounce → scene
The daughter soon arrived at the scene, the sheriff's office said.
"
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office → arrive → scene
She turned around and landed back at the airport.
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She → turn → airport
[Then] she started making phone calls."
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she → start → calls
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) told Fox News Digital that Sunday's crash occurred around 2:25 p.m. local time, though local authorities recorded the crash time slightly earlier, at 2:08 p.m.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said its investigators will lead the probe into the crash.
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investigators → tell → crash
An investigator was expected to arrive at the scene Monday evening to document the site and examine the aircraft before it's recovered to a secure facility for further evaluation, the NTSB said.
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NTSB → expect → evaluation
The NTSB said its investigations involve three primary areas: the pilot, the aircraft, and the operating environment.
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investigations → say → areas
As part of the process, investigators will gather flight track data, air traffic control communications, aircraft maintenance records, witness statements and weather conditions, the agency said.
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agency → gather → data
It said investigators will also review the pilot’s license, ratings, recency of flight experience and 72-hour background check to determine if any issues could have affected his ability to safely operate the flight.
uncertain
issues → say → flight
During the on-scene phase of the investigative process, the NTSB does not determine or speculate about the cause of the accident, the agency said.
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agency → determine → accident
A probable cause of the crash along with any contributing factors will be detailed in the final report, which is expected in 12 to 24 months, the NTSB said.
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NTSB → contribute → months
"He was going to turn and go back to the airport.
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He → go → airport
"
Sixteen years prior to this accident, the same father and daughter duo survived a small-plane crash in a remote area of Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado, WBAY News Report said at the time.
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Report → survive → time
On July 8, 2010, James Michaels was piloting a single-engine aircraft with his daughter as his passenger when they encountered a severe downdraft.
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they → pilot → downdraft
The pair crash-landed in heavy timber in Forest Canyon while flying toward Aspen, the National Park Service Summary Report via NTSB Docket previously said.
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Report → land → Docket
Both walked away from the 2010 crash with minor cuts and scratches.
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Both → walk → cuts
They used branches and the plane's sheared-off wreckage to build a shelter as they were stranded overnight during evening storms, The Denver Post reported at the time.
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Post → use → time
The Aporia
