The fatal crash of a single-engine plane that left two people dead last May has been attributed to the pilot and passenger taking "selfies" during the low-level flight in Denver.
Amritpal Singh, 29, and his passenger were killed near the Front Range Airport near Watkins, about 25 miles east of Denver, eight months ago, investigators with the National Transportation and Safety Board said in a report released last week.
"Based on the evidence of cell phone use during low-altitude maneuvering, including the flight immediately before the accident flight, it is likely that cell phone use during the accident flight distracted the pilot and contributed to the development of spatial disorientation and subsequent loss of control," the NTSB report said, adding that the investigation revealed no mechanical problems with the plane before the crash.
On May 31, the Cessna-150 was reported missing at 3:45 a.m. after it had taken off just after midnight from Front Range Airport in Adams County, USA Today reported. The plane was eventually discovered around 7 a.m. that morning.
Amidst the plane's wreckage in Watkins, federal investigators recovered a GoPro video camera whose recordings showed several clips, taken during multiple different flights, where the pilot and his passengers could be seen taking "self-photographs" with their cellphones.
In the last recording, the pilot was captured using a flash to take selfies during the plane's initial climb and flight at night. The flash from the phones disoriented Singh, causing him to lose control of the airplane, the NTSB said, adding that the 29-year-old pilot, who was listed as the owner of the plane, was neither qualified for instrument flight nor for flying at night.
"Post-accident examination of the airplane did not reveal any pre-impact anomalies that would have precluded normal operation," the NTSB said in their report, released Friday. "Based on the wreckage distribution, which was consistent with a high-speed impact, and the degraded visual reference conditions, it is likely that the pilot experienced spatial disorientation and lost control of the airplane."
Meanwhile, the unidentified passenger was described by Singh's family to be a musician who was in town to attend a concert at Adams City High School, according to The Denver Post.