Did An Open Door Lead To A Fatal Mishap?

We know more about what happened... we just don't know why yet. That's the message the NTSB has in the preliminary report released Wednesday on the July 11 downing of a Beechcraft Sierra near Virginia Beach, VA.

According to the report, the plane (file photo of type, above) had just taken off for a trip to South Carolina, with pilot George Schell, 69, and his 63-year-old girlfriend, Judy Broadway onboard... when Schell radioed that a door was open on the plane, and he needed to head back to the airport.

The plane was cleared to make a short approach back to the runway... but Schell did not declare an emergency, and the controller later told the pilot he'd need to extend his downwind for landing traffic.

The pilot said that wouldn't be a problem... but before the single-engine plane reached the runway, it crashed into trees -- killing both of the people onboard, as well as their two dogs.

One witness says the plane was struggling to hold altitude... and that it was flying "very slow" and in a slight left bank before it went down. Furthermore, the witness says, the plane was also shaking violently.

The investigation into the mishap continues.

FMI: Read The NTSB Preliminary Report