A single-engine yellow Piper PA-25-235 plane crashed on North Park Road, near a Target parking lot and Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood on Wednesday at around 12:25 p.m.
Also read | Aaron Hicks designated for assignment to end Yankees tenure, see fan reactions
The probe into a fatal banner plane crash in Hollywood was underway Thursday, with new information about the pilot killed being released. As per media reports, the pilot was the only person who was on board and was declared.
Who is Mitchell Knaus?
As identified by Hollywood Police, Mitchell Knaus was the pilot who was flying the plane at the time of the crash. He was 28 years old and was a commercial pilot by profession.
Also read | Who is Alexee Trevizo, 19-year-old who dumped newborn in hospital trash bag?
Daniel Corti, his roommate said Knaus moved to South Florida from California just a month ago. He also said, “The morning of the accident, we went jogging together in the park close by the house and then we just (said) goodbye, see you later tomorrow or tonight, and then the accident happened”.
As confirmed by Federal Aviation Administration officials, the crashed plane belonged to Aerial Banners, which uses planes for promotions of companies.
Many witnesses reported the crash to 911, as the plane struck the ground. The video from the phone of the witnesses also went viral. There were clear visuals of the plane on fire after it crashed.
NTSB spokesperson on Thursday stated that Knaus had approximately 325 hours of commercial flight time but less than 20 hours of flight time in the type of banner plane that crashed.
Also read | Nike releases Air Jordan 1 High OG Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse: Where to buy, price, more details
Brian Rayner, a senior NTSB safety investigator said, “I know he was a recent hire with this company. He had gotten extensive ground training and classroom training”. He also added, “It’s fortuitous. It’s a tragedy whenever you have a fatality but the fact that we have no ground injuries is heartening because sometimes we don’t fare as well”.
