NAPLES, Fla. — On Monday, investigators with National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) had a little more to share about their work on solving the root cause behind the unbelievable plane crash on I-75 in Naples.
The crash happened Friday afternoon, during rush hour in the peak of tourist season. 5 people were on board the flight out of Columbus, Ohio, bound for Naples, when both engines failed and the plane crashed into the southbound lanes of the interstate, between Pine Ridge Road and Golden Gate Parkway. The 2 pilots died, but 3 others survived.
On Monday, a spokesperson with the NTSB said the wreckage was taken to an undisclosed location in Jacksonville, where investigators will continue to examine it. The jet's voice recorder was sent to Washington D.C.
One Naples personal injury attorney says this crash hits close to home.
"I've been here for 35 years and I can't remember anything like this ever happening,” said Eric Olson, Owner of Cardinal Law.
“They're basically picking up the pieces and trying to put it back together based on the black box and the flight recordings in the plane's path,” said Olson. “It's gonna be tough for them to figure out exactly what happened.”
Federal investigators were working to collect a large volume of information, everything from surveillance video near the crash to pilot ratings. Saturday night, the NTSB requested that anyone with video of the actual crash (not the aftermath) reach out to investigators via the email witness@ntsb.gov.
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"I know my dad spent hours and hours in simulators, and he was really prepared for any situation,” said Olson. "These guys were highly trained, incredibly professional, and truly heroes in this situation.”
Although no one can prepare for something quite like this, as a personal injury attorney, Olson says there are ways to protect yourself from the after-effects of an accident.
“Everybody's gonna want to try to figure out what happened before they make a payment on damages in situations like this,” said Olson. “It's really important to have your own insurance and have your own coverage."
The NTSB says a full report could take up to two years to be released.
