ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. — What's left of a Mooney M20 airplane is heading to a National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) facility for investigation after two people were killed when it crashed in St. Johns County on Monday.
The plane took off from Northeast Florida Regional Airport on Monday around noon.
After takeoff, the pilot called air traffic control saying his door opened and he needed to land.
However, the plane did not land safely and crashed into the woods just miles away from the airport.
Patrick Healey has flown for over 50 years and said a plane can still be flown with its door open, so he believes there may have been another reason the aircraft crashed.
"The point is, you can still fly the airplane. Even if the engine were to have a catastrophic failure which is one in a trillion chance you still have time to find a landing spot and tell the tower. 'Hey I'm putting it in a dirt field here I'm gonna land in the swamps,' or whatever," said Healey.
The NTSB will determine the official cause of the crash after a thorough investigation.
The NTSB tells First Coast News when investigators arrived on the scene, they began documenting the scene and examining the aircraft. They also will request radar data, weather information, maintenance records and the pilot's medical records.
While still on scene, the NTSB does not determine the cause of the accident.
However, a preliminary report will be available in 30 days, and that preliminary report will have the factual information from the initial investigation.
A probable cause of the crash and contributing factors will be in the final report, which is expected to be completed in 12 to 24 months.
The wreckage will be taken to a secure facility and the NTSB investigators will conduct a wreckage layout and examination on Wednesday.