PORT ANGELES — A Police Department investigation of Thursday’s crash of an ultralight aircraft flown by firefighter Pat Rose confirmed Monday that mechanical failure was the cause.
A statement released Monday afternoon said witness statements, review of blueprints and consultation and consultation with those familiar with the type of aircraft pinpointed the cause.
The problem centered around the “elevator controls” that allow a pilot to control the aircraft’s up and down movement, the statement said.
The controls were “impaired or nonexistent” at the time of the crash, the Police Department said.
Fasteners that normally secure an elevator control line to the control yoke were found unsecured, it added.
The sound of the revving engine and witness statements that Rose appeared to be pulling back on the controls indicate that he might have been attempting to pull the airplane out of a dive, the investigators’ statement concluded.
Rose, 52, was the only occupant of the Mini-Max 1100 ultralight plane when it crashed onto an empty hangar at William R. Fairchild International Airport at about 11:45 a.m. Thursday.
A memorial service for the veteran firefighter will be held Thursday at 2 p.m. in the Vern Burton Community Center, 308 E. Fourth St., Port Angeles.
