Had Asked To Return To Airport

Investigators aren't yet sure what brought down a Cessna C210 Centurion Tuesday night, claiming the life of its pilot.

Johnathan Meyer, 79, took off from Cincinnati's Lunken Field (KLUK) after 6:00 pm and turned north. Soon after, he contacted the tower and asked to return to the airport. A spokesperson for the airport said controllers lost sight of the plane a short time later.

The plane (file photo of type, above) scraped trees before impacting an empty lot between two homes in Fort Thomas, KY. Fort Thomas Police Lieutenant Mark Dill told the Associated Press that pieces from the destroyed aircraft were spread out over 200 feet in the yard, owned by Danielle Hall.

"They said well, a plane crashed and I just knew because we have the most yardage and I know it had to be our yard because we're the only ones with enough place for them to try to land," said Hall, after she found the wreckage on her property.

Meyer was pronounced dead at the scene.

Officials from the NTSB arrived on the scene Wednesday to take over the investigation into why the Cessna went down.

**   Report created 5/31/2006   Record 1
*********************************

IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: 5212U        Make/Model: C210      Description: 210, T210, (Turbo)Centurion
  Date: 05/30/2006     Time: 2205

  Event Type: Accident   Highest Injury: Fatal     Mid Air: N    Missing: N
  Damage: Destroyed

LOCATION
  City: FT. THOMAS   State: KY   Country: US

DESCRIPTION
  AIRCRAFT DEPARTED RWY 21 AND TURNED NORTH BOUND. APPROXIMATELY 7NM N THE
  PILOT REQUESTED TO RETURN TO AIRPORT. RADIO AND RADAR LOST. FT. THOMAS, KY

INJURY DATA      Total Fatal:   1
                 # Crew:   1     Fat:   1     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Pass:   0     Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Grnd:         Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   

WEATHER: KLUK302230Z 1905KT 9SM CLR 29/20 A3005

OTHER DATA
  Activity: Pleasure      Phase: Climb      Operation: General Aviation

  Departed: LUK                         Dep Date: 05/30/2006   Dep. Time:     
  Destination:                          Flt Plan: UNK          Wx Briefing: U
  Last Radio Cont: 
  Last Clearance: 

  FAA FSDO: LOUISVILLE, KY  (SO01)                Entry date: 05/31/2006

FMI: www.ntsb.gov