FAA had two enforcement actions pending against pilot

Investigators have begun the arduous and time consuming task of sifting through the wreckage of the Aerostar that went down in Austin, crashing into a mansion and taking the lives of four adults and two children. But even before the fact-gathering portion of the NTSB's work is over, it has been determined that the alleged pilot in command of the aircraft, Richard Fisher, owner of Aviation Flight Specialists out of Oklahoma City (OK), had two FAA enforcement actions pending against him at the time of the crash.

The crash occurred last Tuesday, when the twin nose-dived into a golf course community some 15 miles west of Austin and destroyed a large portion of a two-story home appraised at over $600,000. According to the Associated Press, NTSB investigator Leah Yeager said a witness who was listening to a radio tuned to the CTAF frequency at Lakeway Airpark said that an unidentified pilot came on the radio moments before the crash and said "Oh God, I'm in trouble. I have three people with me." The transmission was not recorded.

The Aerostar had just refueled at the Airpark, but witnesses said that it had trouble gaining altitude after taking off from the field, just before it crashed into a retaining wall at the rear of the home and careened into the rear patio.

The passengers in the aircraft were identified as Curtis Treadwell, owner of Monarch Homes in Oklahoma City; his wife, Jennifer; their two young children; and Jason Jones, owner of Broadway Homes in Edmond (OK). The pilot also lost his life in the cash, but the three people who were in the home at the time of the crash escaped unharmed.

FAA records show that the pilot, Richard Fisher, was involved in two other crashes in twin-engine aircraft, one in 2002 and the other earlier in 2004. No one was apparently injured in those accidents, but Fisher had two enforcement actions pending against him.

According to NTSB spokesperson Lauren Peduzzi, a preliminary report may be available as early as next week, but a final report will likely not be issued for at least a year.

FMI: www.faa.gov, www.ntsb.gov