LANAI CITY, Lanai — A preliminary report on a fatal Lanai plane crash says the wreckage mostly burned in a post-impact fire.
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating last month’s crash that killed the pilot and two Maui County Planning Department employees. Three other county employees were seriously injured.
The NTSB report released Wednesday says visibility was clear and that the crash left a 640-foot-long debris field.
The Piper PA-31 crashed in a former pineapple field shortly after taking off from Lanai Airport. It was bound for Kahului.
The NTSB says what remains of the airplane has been moved to a secure location for further examination.
NTSB spokesman Peter Knudson says preliminary reports contain factual details of the investigation but no analysis. Fatal crash investigations can last about year.