A preliminary report on the plane crash that killed WVUE journalist Nancy Parker and local pilot Franklin Augustus offers new details about the incident last month.
According to the National Transportation Safety Board, Augustus took off north-bound on Lakefront Airport's runway 36R, then turned left until it was heading south. A short time later, Augustus radioed the tower for permission to return to the airport, but did not specify why. Before he could bring the plane around, it crashed just short of a mile away from the airport.
NTSB say witnesses and evidence at the crash site indicate the plane hit the ground at a 45 degree angle. Wreckage of the plane that survived the ensuing fire was sent to a secure facility for further investigation.