National Transportation Safety Board investigators were on-site Wednesday to begin the process of documenting the scene of the crash of a Cessna Citation 550 that killed two people on board and injured one on the ground.
The crash took place at 7 a.m. Aug. 20 near Odessa. The preliminary information NTSB has is the plane took off from Odessa-Schlemeyer airport and crashed into a mobile home park shortly after. A post-impact fire ensued.
Killed in the fatal mishap were two occupants of the doomed plane. One person — the female occupant of one of the trailers that burned — was injured. The two deceased were Joseph Vincent Summa, 48, of Bellaire, Texas, and Joleen Cavaretta Weatherly, 49, of Orange, Texas. Both were pronounced dead at the scene, a Texas Department of Public Safety news release said.
Investigators recovered a cockpit voice recorder and other avionics to send to NTSB headquarters in Washington, D.C., for examination. The rest of the aircraft is currently being recovered to a secure facility for further evaluation, an NTSB statement said.
During the on-scene phase of the investigative process, the NTSB does not determine or speculate about the cause of the accident.
The fatal crash occurred just south of the county airport on the south side of Yukon Avenue, and the ensuing explosions and fire damaged several buildings, including trailer homes and Dewey’s Breakfast Shop. Power to the immediate area was also knocked out.
The Cessna 550 Citation II jet was destined for Ellington Airport in Houston. It was involved in an accident during a takeoff attempt. The accident destroyed the plane.
NTSB investigations involve three primary areas: the pilot, the aircraft and the operating environment. As part of this process, investigators will gather the following information and records:
- Flight track data
- Recordings of any air traffic control communications
- Aircraft maintenance records
- Weather forecasts and actual weather and lighting conditions around the time of the accident
- Pilot’s license, ratings and recency of flight experience
- 72-hour background of the pilot to determine if there were any issues that could have affected the pilot’s ability to safety operate the flight
- Witness statements
- Electronic devices that could contain information relevant to the investigation
- Any available surveillance video, including from doorbell cameras
Witnesses to the accident or those who have surveillance video or other information that could be relevant to the investigation are asked to contact the NTSB at [email protected].
The statement said the NTSB has no role in the release of the identities of accident victims and/or the extent and number of injuries nor does it release the identities of those injured or killed; that’s handled by local authorities.
A preliminary report will be available within 30 days; it can be accessed by searching our investigations database with the NTSB number CEN24FA320. It will also be posted on NTSB Newsroom Twitter.
The preliminary report will contain factual information gathered during the initial phase of the investigation. A probable cause of the crash along with any contributing factors will be detailed in the final report, which is expected in 12-24 months.
