Federal Officials: Crashed Plane Stalled after Takeoff in Florida

Federal investigators say a small plane likely stalled after takeoff, causing a crash in the Florida Panhandle that killed a radio personality from Alabama.

The National Transportation Safety Board released last week the probable cause of the July 2007 accident. Killed were pilot Harvey “Russ” Ragan of WTVY-FM in Dothan, Ala., and 7-year-old John Allen Watson.

A witness told officials the Cessna 150 started “sputtering” just after it cleared some trees and power lines after takeoff. The plane nose-dived into a dried-up pond, about 20 miles south of the Alabama-Florida line.
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Information from: The News Herald, http://www.newsherald.com