A small cargo plane en route to Omaha crashed shortly after takeoff from Norfolk Regional Airport on October 7, claiming the life of the pilot, 37-year-old Philip K. Widner. According to a preliminary investigation report from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the twin-engine Beech C99 Commuter aircraft appeared intact and under control before banking left and crashing less than half a mile southeast of the airport.
Operated by Ameriflight, the nation’s largest charter cargo carrier, the plane had landed in Norfolk at 7:07 PM to load packages and departed for Omaha at 7:39 PM from Runway 20. Surveillance footage showed the aircraft climbed briefly before crashing. The wreckage split into two main sections, with the cockpit and cabin severely damaged by a post-crash fire. The NTSB noted the plane’s flaps were retracted and the landing gear extended, which is unusual for a normal climb.
The Beech C99, manufactured in 1984 and registered to UAS Transservices Inc. of Boca Raton, Florida, had received a Federal Aviation Administration airworthiness certificate in 2007. Ameriflight, based in Dallas, operates 156 aircraft and delivers 75,000 packages daily to over 200 locations for major carriers like UPS, FedEx, and DHL. The company has experienced 11 fatal crashes since 1989, the most recent occurring in 2012.
Widner, originally from Texas, had recently moved to Omaha to work for Ameriflight. A graduate of Oklahoma State University, he previously worked in finance and the oil and gas industry before pursuing his dream of becoming a commercial pilot. He served as a flight instructor and cargo pilot in Texas, where his assignments included transporting rescue animals for a nonprofit organization. Friends and colleagues remembered him as a fun-loving individual and a supportive friend.
This incident marked the third fatal air accident in northeast Nebraska within six weeks, following crashes near Crofton and Wayne on August 26. The NTSB is still investigating these accidents, which occurred in low clouds and poor weather. Investigators are continuing to examine the Beech C99 wreckage, with a final report expected within one to two years.
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