TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

NTSB Says Pastor's Plane Was Intact When It Hit Ground

Photo from NTSB

Searchers found the wreckage of the Rev. Forrest Pollock's plane roughly 4,700 feet above sea level on a steep slope that was barely reachable by foot.

ADVERTISEMENT

By BAIRD HELGESON | The Tampa Tribune
and KEITH MORELLI | The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 16, 2008

TAMPA -- Federal investigators issued preliminary findings Thursday in the crash of a single-engine Piper into a North Carolina mountain Monday, killing the pastor of the Bell Shoals Baptist Church and his son.

The entire plane was found in one spot, indicating to investigators that the plane was intact when it hit the ground. The two people aboard, the Rev. Forrest Pollock and his 13-year-old son, Preston, were killed.

The two took off from Rutherford County Airport near Asheville, N.C., about 5 a.m. The plane vanished from the radar about 5:35 a.m., National Transportation Safety Board spokesman Peter Knudson said.

Authorities found the wreckage roughly 4,700 feet above sea level on a steep slope that was barely reachable by foot, Knudson said.

Recovery crews hiked four hours from the nearest road to reach the crash site, he said.

The wreckage will have to be pulled out by helicopter. From there, the wreckage will be taken to Atlanta, where the NTSB investigator will continue the effort to determine what caused the plane to crash.

The investigation will include recorded radio transmissions and examinations of the weather in the area during the time of the crash, Knudson said.

Autopsies took about two hours to complete and preliminary conclusions were that Pollock and his son died of multiple injuries sustained in the crash, said Donald Jason, forensic pathologist at Wake Forest University's School of Medicine.

Pollock was positively identified through dental records. His son was identified visually, Jason said.

At the time of takeoff, the National Weather Service reported sustained winds of about 26 mph at the nearby Asheville airport, with 10 miles of visibility. Hours before, wind gusts of 60 mph had been reported in the Asheville area, snapping trees and downing power lines.

The NTSB is expected to post a preliminary report on the crash sometime later next week, which a final report expected in a year. Fatal crash investigations generally take between nine and 15 months, Knudson said.

The deaths have shaken the church in Brandon. Thousands turned out for a prayer meeting Wednesday night. Pollock is survived by his wife and five children.

A service was set for 11 a.m. Saturday at the church, 2102 Bell Shoals Road, Brandon. The doors will open at 9:30 a.m., according to the church's Web site.

A reception will follow the services. Burial will be Tuesday in Oklahoma City.

Reporter Josh Poltilove contributed to this report. Reporter Keith Morelli can be reached at kmorelli@tampatrib.com or (813) 259-7760.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT