MICANOPY, FL (352today.com) – The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has issued a preliminary report revealing what investigators say contributed to a fatal plane crash in Paynes Prairie State Park Preserve.
Adrien Valentine, 21, died on November 14 when the single-engine plane he piloted crashed near Micanopy. He was the only person on board.
The NTSB report indicates Valentine took off from Orlando headed for Keystone Heights.
The report says before take-off, air traffic control (ATC) informed Valentine that cloudy weather conditions would require him to rely on the plane’s instruments for navigation. The term used in the report is “that the weather conditions were ‘IFR'” which stands for instrument flight rules. That’s opposed to flying “VFR” which is short for visual flight rules which would indicate better visibility.
The report says flight track data indicates Valentine took several erratic 360-degree turns, as well as numerous climbs and descents before crashing.
The investigator reviewed air traffic control communications and the report reveals that during the erratic maneuvering, Valentine called “mayday” and stated he “was lost in weather.” The NTSB says Valentine reported he was having issues with his instruments and that he “mistakenly flew into weather.”
According to the report, Valentine said he could not see anything outside. “It’s completely white,” the report quotes him as saying.
The report also suggests Valentine may not have had enough training for the weather conditions he encountered. The report says Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) records indicate Valentine had a private pilot certificate but did not hold an instrument rating.
According to the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, a pilot must log 40 hours of actual or simulated instrument time to be instrument rated. The NTSB report says Valentine had only recorded 1 hour of instrument flight time and 2.2 hours of simulated instrument flight time in his logbook.
Valentine is the son of Alachua County Fire Rescue lieutenant Russell Valentine. Family and friends say Adrien dreamed of becoming a commercial pilot. They established a GoFundMe which will, in part, be used to create a fund in Adrien’s memory to help others obtain pilot training. So far, that fund has raised nearly $19,000.