NTSB investigates crash near Chandler Municipal Airport that killed pilot

CHANDLER, Ariz. - Video sent to FOX 10 shows black smoke billowing into the sky moments after the NTSB says a Piper PA-28 plane crashed just moments after taking off from Chandler Municipal Airport Tuesday night, killing the pilot.

The backstory:

The crash happened about 1 mile southwest of the airport, with the plane landing in the yard next to the Ferguson warehouse.

NTSB investigators arrived Wednesday morning to investigate the cause of the crash.

Local perspective:

For Ryan Wallace, who grew up around the Chandler airport, planes flying overheard are a constant part of his day.

"I mean, there's a plane right there. They fly over all the time," Wallace said. "Especially with it being a flight school right there."

The crash on July 28, however, has Wallace shaken.

"My heart goes out to the families and everything that are involved there," Wallace added.

Aviation expert weighs in on investigation

Cary Grant, an assistant professor of aeronautical science at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, explained the many steps in the investigative process.

 "They're going to look at: did the pilot respond correctly?" Grant said. "They're going to look to see was it just an engine failure, or were there other issues with the airplane? Are all four points of the airplane there? From the nose, the engine, the prop, the wings, the tail. Was it just an engine failure, or were there other issues that might have caused the accident?"

What He's Saying:

Grant admits there have been more plane crashes in Arizona than he’s comfortable with in the last year.

"It is concerning. So I think it's a good wake-up call to pilots out there to make sure they're doing good, thorough pre-flights," Grant noted.

Grant, however, points out the majority of those had positive outcomes. He says when living somewhere with good weather most of the year, there will always be more people in the air.

"There's a lot of accidents, but proportionally, that's because we have a lot of flying. This is a Mecca for flying because of our weather and all our great training environment," Grant said.

What's next:

The NTSB is leading the investigation into what happened.

Grant says a preliminary report should be out within 30 days, but because this was a fatal crash, it could take a lot longer before exactly what happened is released.

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