U.S. authorities are scrambling to explain how the crash of a Canadian-registered Cessna 172 went unnoticed at Nashville International Airport for up to six hours.
- One of several 172s operated by the Windsor Flying Club
Various reports from U.S. media say the 172, registered to the Windsor Flying Club, crashed and burned on Runway 2C , killing the pilot, sometime after 3 a.m. Oct. 29. That runway is the centre of three parallel runways at the airport. The crash wasn’t noticed until the crew of a taxiing aircraft reported debris on the runway about 9 a.m.
FAA officials have so far declined comment on any aspect of the bizarre incident. Nashville’s tower is staffed by controllers 24 hours a day but it’s not known if the 172 was under active control at any time or if there were any distress calls.
Officials aren’t offering any details on the pilot, including whether he or she is Canadian.
The FAA did say it was foggy overnight but since the exact time of the crash hasn’t been determined it’s not now known what role weather played.