Federal investigators say the engine of a small plane that crashed into a Massachusetts home last month had a breach in the crankcase, two puncture holes near a cylinder and a fractured oil sump.
The preliminary report released Tuesday by the National Transportation Safety Board also said a cable and a turnbuckle exhibited overload fractures. The report did not indicate whether the problems occurred pre- or post-crash and did not draw any conclusions on whether they contributed to the deadly accident in Plainville on June 28.
All three people aboard the plane – Dr. Joseph Richard Kalister; his wife, Betty; and their teenage daughter, Nicole – died.
Dr. Kalister was the emergency room director at Starr Regional Medical Center’s Athens campus.
A family of four escaped unharmed from the home.
The pilot reported losing engine power minutes before the crash.