EASTON, MD - The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSFB) has released an Aviation Investigation Preliminary Report shedding light on the fatal plane crash into the Tred Avon River earlier this month.
According to the NTSFB, the pilot of a Cessna 402B intended to move the plane to the Easton Airport on July 16th. Two days before the flight, crews performed ground engine runs after an annual inspection. The pilot then told his manager 12 gallons of fuel were left in each main fuel tank, the NTSFB report says, and he was going to add 20 more gallons to each so he did not have to switch tanks during the upcoming flight. According to the NTSFB, security footage shows the pilot added the 20 gallons to the auxiliary fuel tanks instead of the main tanks.
On July 16th, the NTSFB says the plane left Tipton Airport in Fort Meade, MD just before 9 a.m. About half-an-hour later, the pilot contacted Easton Airport traffic control saying he was experiencing a “pretty significant engine problem.” The plane was about 12 miles southwest of the airport at the time.
The pilot then declared an emergency and said both engines were losing power. Air traffic control cleared the plane to land on a runway at Easton Airport, but the pilot replied he would not make it and planned on landing in a field, according to the report. The Cessna then crashed into the Tred Avon River.
The NTSFB says their investigation into the crash revealed the cockpit remained intact, but the seat lap belt and shoulder harness had been unfastened. The report also says the pilot had extended the landing gear.
The Board says the pilot, later identified as Robert Merlini, 56, of Annapolis, received his most recent FAA first-class medical certificate on March 27, 2024. Merlini also reported a total flight experience of 4,100 hours, with 0 hours accrued in the 6 months before the crash.