WASHINGTON – Pilot error caused the crash of a light airplane at the Red Wing airport that killed two Rochester men, according to federal inspectors. The crash was in September 2022. The report from the National Transportation Safety Board concludes a 2-1/2 year review. Killed were flight instructor John Zeman, 28, and college student Ethan Smith, 20. They were attempting to land after a 40-mile training flight from Rochester. The NSTB couldn’t determine which man was in control but that Zeman as the flight instructor should have recognized the plane was entering an “unstabilized approach” from which safe recovery waa impossible. The accident, the Board said, was preventable.
Earlier: Crash victims: Flight instructor, student
Earlier: Plane crashes at Red Wing; two dead