ASHLAND — The pilot who fatally crashed into a wooded area near Polk in May flew into severe weather under “visual flight rules” and without an instrument rating, a federal report revealed.
The National Transportation Safety Board, a federal agency charged with investigating the cause of accidents in all modes of transportation, issued a preliminary report on June 21.
It came more than a month after the May 5 crash that left the plane’s pilot — Gary Wolfelt, 72 — dead. Wolfelt was the plane’s sole passenger.
The five-page report is one of the first investigatory phases. It did not include a probable cause, but offered insights on the facts surrounding the crash. A final report could come in another year or two, NTSB officials have said.
The report noted severe weather conditions at the time of the May 5 crash, the plane’s onboard systems, and air traffic control data. It included Wolfelt’s records, including maintenance records of the aircraft.
Licensure, ratings
FAA records indicate Wolfelt held a private pilot certificate for single-engine planes and rotorcraft helicopters.
He did not possess an instrument rating, the NTSB report shows. An instrument rating is earned after additional training. It allows pilots to fly aircraft in conditions where they can’t rely on visual references.
Wolfelt had completed a medical examination — regulated by the FAA — in July 2024 and a more comprehensive examination two years before that.
“He had accrued about 622 total flight hours, about 412 of which were in the accident airplane make and model,” reads the report.
The report found that Wolfelt had flown from Delphi, Ind., to Cleveland on April 27. Wolfelt lived in West Lafayette, Ind. He hangared the single-engine plane at Burke Lakefront Airport to “visit a family member,” reads the report.
Wolfelt left Burke at around 6:57 p.m. “under visual flight rules (VFR)” to return to Delphi.
Visual flight rules refers to the Federal Aviation Administration’s set of regulations that govern a pilot’s operation of aircraft when they can see the ground from the plane while flying.
VFR flights must meet specific meteorological conditions depending on airspace classes. FAA lists Burke being in a class D airspace, meaning pilots flying under VFR must have three miles of visibility. Pilots are also subject to rules on how close they can be to clouds.
Weather conditions
The closest airport weather station (Wayne County Airport) reported visibility at the time at four miles. Thunderstorms and lightning had been reported in that area since around 7 p.m. that evening.
Wolfelt had flown into a storm with “heavy precipitation,” the report reads. The NTSB cited a recorded conversation with a Mansfield Lahm Airport (MFD) controller, in which Wolfelt reported a “rough ride.”
Below is an audio recording of the conversation moments before Wolfelt crashed.
The Aviation Weather Center had issued a weather advisory for the area that was valid through 8:55 p.m. It forecast “an area of severe thunderstorms” with a ceiling of 41,000 feet, hail and wind gusts of up to 69 mph.
Federal investigators spent a day removing wreckage from a wooded area just north of a farm field belonging to Dave Nickles. The NTSB retained it at another site for further examination.
The NTSB report noted the plane’s position when it landed in a wooded area near Nickles’ farm in Jackson Township.
Wolfelt’s plane, classified as an “amateur-built” airplane, landed nose-first after hitting a tree limb and while “in a right turn.”
“There was no evidence of an inflight fire, explosion, or structural failure,” reads the report.
Also, the flight control surfaces remained attached. The fuel tank caps were still in place, but both of the tanks had exploded on impact.
Investigators dug the propellor and engine three feet out of the ground, the report reads.
FAA records indicate Wolfelt held a private pilot certificate for single-engine planes and rotorcraft helicopters.
He did not possess an instrument rating, which is earned after additional training. The rating allows pilots to fly aircraft in conditions where they can’t rely on visual references.