Pilot Told ATC He Was 'Wrestling the Other Guy'

In its preliminary report, the National Transportation Safety Board states a medical emergency may have led to the April 19 downing of a Grumman American AA-5B Tiger while on final approach to Danville Regional Airport in Danville, VA.

Pilot William Price, 63, of Upper St. Clair, PA told controllers his passenger, Robert Depp, 64, of Mount Lebanon, was having tremors and that he was "wrestling with the other guy" moments before the crash. The men were headed to Myrtle Beach, SC when Price requested clearance to land in Danville, the NTSB said.

The airplane was in radio and radar contact with controllers at 7,000 feet when the pilot declared a medical emergency and requested to divert to DAN, according to preliminary FAA data. Price told controllers he believed his passenger was suffering from diabetic "tremors."

After informing controllers of the onboard altercation, the pilot advised he had the airport in sight and was cleared for a straight in visual approach to runway 13, but the clearance was not acknowledged. Radar contact was lost moments later.

Witnesses report the aircraft "veered hard and to the right" before it impacted wooded terrain near the airport, according to the Central Pennsylvania CentreDaily. Both men perished in the crash.

First responders located the wreckage near a residential area approximately one mile northwest of DAN. Investigators were able to locate all major components of the airplane, and examinations have revealed no evidence of pre-impact failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine, according to the report.

FMI: Read The Full NTSB Prelim