OCEANA COUNTY, Mich. (WWJ/AP) - The 56-year-old pilot that crashed in Oceana County last weekend, killing himself and his passenger, did not hold qualifications to fly in low visibility, authorities announced Friday evening.
As reported by the Associated Press, the National Transportation Safety Board says Raymond Gundy of Muskegon County had not passed training to secure an instrument rating (IR).
According to the ATP Flight School -- the largest flight training company in the U.S. -- an IR certifies a pilot can fly solely by reference to instruments without ever having to look out the window.
It is especially useful in situations where clouds, fog and other weather events or situations limit a pilot's visibility.
"Even if a pilot never intends to fly in the clouds or conditions outside of visual flight rules (VFR), the instrument rating provides an extra layer of safety just in case things do not go as planned during a flight," ATP officials explained on their website.
State police said the single-engine plane Cessna crashed July 15 in Shelby Township just after 6 p.m., killing the pilot and his passenger, 48-year-old Troy Caris of Holton.
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Officials confirmed the plane went down in a wooded area, mere miles from the Oceana County Airport.
The NTSB in a preliminary report Friday said two commercial pilots at the airport who observed the departure said it was raining at the time and visibility was poor.