need to know
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On October 13, pilot Thomas Perkins and his wife Agatha were killed when their small plane crashed on a highway in Dartmouth, Massachusetts.
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The National Transportation Safety Board said in a recent preliminary report that the pilot told air traffic control that the plane would return to the airport from which it had just departed
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A driver was slightly injured in the accident
A Rhode Island pilot told air traffic control he would return to the Massachusetts airport where his plane had just departed, later saying he “should be fine” before the plane crashed in October, killing him and his wife.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) shared its preliminary report in late November regarding the Oct. 13 crash of a Socata TBM 700 on Interstate 195 near Exit 22 in Dartmouth, Massachusetts, that killed 68-year-old Thomas Perkins and 66-year-old Agatha Perkins.
Thomas was at the controls and Agatha was the only other passenger on board, Channel 2 News reported.
The National Transportation Safety Board report obtained by PEOPLE said the plane took off from New Bedford Regional Airport in New Bedford, Massachusetts, on the morning of October 13, bound for Kenosha, Wisconsin. However, shortly after takeoff, the pilot told air traffic control that he would be returning to the airport.
Air traffic controllers instructed the pilot to enter the runway from the left downwind direction, and the pilot confirmed the instruction, the report said. The pilot also told air traffic controllers that he did not need assistance in landing and that the runway had been cleared for him.
“The controller next asked the pilot if it was okay to approach the airport and reported that the airport altitude was approximately 1,000 feet or if a radar vector was required,” the NTSB report continued. “The pilot responded that he would descend and that he ‘should be fine.’
A minute later, the controller issued a low-altitude warning and altimeter setting to the pilot, who confirmed this. However, “shortly afterwards, the pilot uttered an incomprehensible exclamation. There was no further communication from the pilot,” the report said.
The accident occurred 3.6 nautical miles from New Bedford Regional Airport, the NTSB said, adding that the impact severed tree tops about 50 feet above the ground.
“The path of the wreckage continued through wooded areas, across the highway off-ramp, and across a portion of Interstate 195 West, with the fuselage coming to rest midway between Interstate 195 West and Interstate 195 East,” the report describes.
During the crash, the plane also struck a vehicle traveling on I-195 West. The National Transportation Safety Board said the driver of the car suffered minor injuries.
The plane’s wing was damaged and part of it was destroyed by a post-impact fire, the report said. It added that the rudder was also damaged and the wing’s fuel tanks were damaged. However, the fuselage was described as the furthest piece of wreckage seen along the wreckage path, remaining mostly intact.
“When investigators arrived, they found the main cabin door open; however, witness video taken after the crash showed the door closing immediately after the crash,” the NTSB said. “Both front seats were separated from their mounting points as a result of the impact and remained in the cabin area.”
The agency did not reveal the identities of the plane’s victims but said the wreckage had been preserved for further analysis. There were no other passengers on the plane.
this boston globe Thomas Perkins, of Middletown, Rhode Island, had a valid pilot’s license, the report said, citing FAA records.
(LR) Agatha and Thomas Perkins
According to his obituary, Thomas served as a partner in Kirby Perkins Construction, which included his brother-in-law, and was a volunteer pilot for Angel Flight Northeast, which provides free air transportation to patients in need of medical care. He and Agatha left behind two children and three grandchildren.
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“Tom was passionate about giving back to the community and was highly regarded for his generosity and philanthropic involvement both professionally and personally,” his obituary read. “Tom and Aggie’s Perkins Family Foundation supported many charitable organizations on the Island and causes close to their hearts. Tom loved his country and was deeply patriotic.”
“Tom will be remembered for his unwavering loyalty, steadfast spirit and unwavering commitment to his family, friends and community,” the memorial service later read.
Agatha loved sports and another of her obituaries noted that she would be remembered for her “contagious spirit, generosity of heart, sense of adventure and the joy she brought every day.”
Read the original article on People
