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Scottsdale plane crash report: 'Wings became nearly vertical' before fatal crash

Posted at 1:06 PM, Apr 27, 2018
and last updated 2018-04-28 02:48:59-04

(KGTV) - New details have been released in the moments leading up to a small plane crash in Scottsdale, Ariz., that killed six people this month.

The National Transportation Safety Board report said video showed the plane take off from Scottsdale Airport on April 9, its wings "rocking during and shortly after."

A traffic camera also recorded the plane in a left bank executing a left turn about half a mile from the airport. As the plane made the turn the plane started to descend.

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"The wings became nearly vertical, and the view of the airplane was lost behind a berm," NTSB's report said. "Seconds later, the camera caught a fireball when the airplane impacted terrain."

A witness told the NTSB the plane appeared to be rocking in an "excessive" manner as it made its way down the runway during takeoff. The witness said they did not hear any unusual sounds or see the plane emitting any smoke or fire.

The plane, heading to Las Vegas, Nev., crashed in a golf course about a quarter mile away from the airport shortly after takeoff, killing two crew members and four passengers.

Police say Erik Valente, 26; James Louis Pedroza, 28; Anand Anil Patel, 28; Helena Lagos, 22; Iris Carolina Rodriguez, 23; and San Diego-based Instagram model Mariah Sunshine Coogan, 23, all died in the crash.