ZEELAND TWP. — More details about what happened early Saturday when a plane crashed in Zeeland Township, killing two, are expected in about a week’s time.
The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash. The NTSB investigates civil aviation accidents in the U.S.
A spokesperson for the NTSB said an initial report on the crash would be released in seven to 10 days.
According to the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office, around 6:30 a.m., shortly after takeoff from Ottawa Executive Airport, a small-engine, two-seat 2006 Byerley RV-9A crashed northeast of the airport runway.
The victims were identified by the sheriff’s office as Dale Deweese, 61, and Joyce Deweese, 59, of Zeeland.
Authorities are “still verifying” what the aircraft’s planned destination was and no other information about the crash was able to be released.
Multiple witnesses to the crash have provided witness statements to the FAA, according to NTSB spokesperson Terry Williams.
While NTSB representatives typically travel to the scene of incidents they investigate, Williams said COVID-19 has suspended much of the agency’s travel, including for this investigation.
A representative from the Grand Rapids FAA Flight Standards District Office has been examining the scene of the crash and reporting to the NTSB, he explained.
The plane will be removed to a secure location for further investigation by FAA and NTSB representatives.
Investigators will examine the aircraft, its maintenance records, weather conditions and the pilot’s training and records in the course of the crash investigation.
The preliminary report will make public some of the initial fact-finding results of the NTSB investigation, but it will not provide analysis or a determination of the cause of the crash.
Final NTSB reports on the cause of an incident can take 12-18 months to be completed.
— Contact reporter Carolyn Muyskens at cmuyske[email protected] and follow her on Twitter at @cjmuyskens.