PUTNAM COUNTY, Fla. – The National Transportation Safety Board on Thursday released its preliminary report on a small plane that crashed into the St. Johns River in southern Putnam County, killing two men.
According to the report, the single-engine 2016 Quest Kodiak 100 aircraft flew over Mount Royal Airport twice and crashed about 7:30 p.m. Feb. 27 into the river -- about three miles away from the private airport -- after it turned around, apparently on its third approach.
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READ: NTSB preliminary report on Feb. 27 plane crash
The report states there was some fog, but visibility was 10 miles.
It also notes the proximity of the Ocala National Forest, with 673 square miles of dense, dark terrain. That means the pilot did not have a lot of points of light to guide him.
The Florida Highway Patrol identified the the pilot as Michael Martin, of Georgetown, Florida, and the passenger as Patrick Magie, of Cordova, Alaska.