An investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) identified the probable cause as the pilot's failure to see the obstruction because of physical impairment and fog that had reduced his vision. The 57-year-old Elliott suffered from severe coronary artery disease and had run three miles to the airport from a motel. He had an ATP certificate, 14,290 hours' total flight time, and 2,190 hours in the Beech 18 type airplane. A later investigation placed the sole blame on pilot error resulting from disorientation following his downwind takeoff into a black hole approach illusion.
an investigation by the national transportation safety board (ntsb) identified the probable cause as the pilot's failure to see the obstruction because of physical impairment and fog that had reduced his vision the 57-year-old elliott suffered from severe coronary artery disease and had run three miles to the airport from a motel he had an atp certificate 14290 hours' total flight time and 2190 hours in the beech 18 type airplane a later investigation placed the sole blame on pilot error resulting from disorientation following his downwind takeoff into a black hole approach illusion