The plane that crashed Jan. 23 in Tucson, killing two people, was upside down when it hit the runway, according to a preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board. ย
The privately-owned Beechcraft 300 took off from runway 11L at the Tucson International Airport and suddenly yawed to the left when it was 100-150 feet above the runway, according to the report.ย
One witness said the plane slowed to the point where he thought it was going to stall, the report said. The left wing dropped and the plane rolled to the left before striking the runway inverted.ย
Another witness said the plane was yawing from left to right while climbing. The plane rolled left and became inverted, in what the witness described as similar to a barrel roll.ย
After hitting the runway, the plane slid 650 feet and collided with an 8-foot tall concrete wall.ย
The pilot, Jeffrey Green, 56, and passenger, Daniel Rodriguez, 38, died from blunt force and thermal injuries, according to the Pima County medical examiner.
The preliminary report did not address possible causes for the crash.ย
The wreckage of the plane is still being examined. A final report likely won't be released for at least a year.ย
