Pilot likely became disoriented before crash in which two Kentucky men died, report says
An airplane crash in which two Central Kentucky men died probably happened because the pilot became disoriented after flying into bad weather, according to a federal report.
Investigators also found a pump designed to run the instruments on the plane had failed, making it likely that an indicator designed to show the position of the plane in relation to the Earth’s horizon wasn’t working.
That would have increased the probability that the pilot became disoriented, and was a contributing factor in the accident, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.
Ronald Eldridge, 61, and Nick Strong, 63, both of Nicholasville, died in the crash on Dec. 10, 2021. Eldridge was flying the single-engine Beech V35 manufactured in 1966.
The two had left Okeechobee, Fla., earlier that day to fly home.
They were within about 13 miles of their destination, the airport in Danville, when the crash happened near the small Lincoln County town of Crab Orchard.
A witness said he heard the engine of the plane “very loud, getting louder, and running at full speed” before he heard the impact of the plane into a heavily-wooded hillside, according to the report.
Weather data show there was low cloud cover, fog, mist and light rain in the area of the crash.
The plane flew into instrument meteorological conditions, meaning conditions that require a pilot to fly primarily by using the plane’s instruments, rather than by being able to see the ground and the horizon.
Eldridge was not rated to fly by instruments alone, the report said.
Radar data show that just before the crash, the plane began a wide turn to the left, then a right turn, then climbed rapidly about 500 feet before descending.
The NTSB report said those movements were consistent with a pilot experiencing a condition called spatial disorientation, in which the pilot has a mistaken perception of his or her position and motion in relation to the ground.
That can be caused quickly by clouds, fog haze or other conditions that keep the pilot from being able to see the Earth in order to orient the plane.
Investigators also found that a pump designed to run instruments in the cockpit of the plane had failed sometime before the crash and that there was evidence a standby system was not on.
As a result, it’s likely some instruments weren’t working, including one called the “attitude indicator” that shows the orientation of the plane in relation to the Earth’s horizon.
That increased the probability of pilot disorientation, the report said.
The NTSB expresses its findings in terms of the probable cause of accidents. The agency released its report last month.
The two men who died in the crash were well known in Central Kentucky.
Eldridge owned and operated Ron Eldridge Excavating and Ron Eldridge Properties and was a partner with Strong in N.R. Enterprises.
Eldridge also was an honorary deputy sheriff and served on a number of local boards and commissions.
“He was a well-respected community member and will be missed by many,” said his obituary at Betts & West Funeral Home in Nicholasville.
Strong was president of Old Colony Insurance Service, chairman of the Jessamine South Elkhorn Water District and a special deputy sheriff, according to his obituary.
He was a member at Southland Christian Church; was active on the boards of the Jessamine County Joint Economic Development Authority and Central Bank and Trust; and was a member of organizations that included The Keeneland Association, The Thoroughbred Club of America, the National Professional Association of Insurance Agents and the chamber of commerce and homebuilders association.
“Nick was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, friend and businessman who left an incredible impact on the entire community and beyond,” his obituary said. “His unique sense of humor and quick wit will never be forgotten by those who knew him best.”
