YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio — The National Transportation Safety Board released its preliminary report on the Youngstown plane crash that killed three people. 

What You Need To Know

  • On July 19, a private plane crashed in an emergency landing at the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport near Vienna Center shortly after 7 p.m.

  • NTSB said it obtained radar and data from the Federal Aviation Administration that showed the plane departed the Plattsburgh International Airport in New York around 4:51 p.m. and was heading to John Glenn Columbus International Airport

  • The report said about 50 miles northeast of the Youngstown/Warren Regional Airport, the pilot, 54-year-old Jawdat Khawam, notified air traffic control that the plane's left engine lost power
  • Three people, including the pilot, died in the crash

On July 19, a private plane crashed in an emergency landing at the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport near Vienna Center shortly after 7 p.m., according to the report. 

NTSB said it obtained radar and data from the Federal Aviation Administration that showed the plane departed the Plattsburgh International Airport in New York around 4:51 p.m. and was heading to John Glenn Columbus International Airport. 

The report said about 50 miles northeast of the Youngstown/Warren Regional Airport, the pilot, 54-year-old Jawdat Khawam, notified air traffic control that the plane's left engine lost power and he couldn't maintain altitude. The radar control then offered possible emergency landings at nearby airports, but Khawam wanted the Youngstown airport for its longer runway. 

NTSB said a witness at the airport's taxiway D saw the plane in the air before the accident. The witness said when the plane approached the runway, it was higher than normal and didn't touch down. Instead, the plane pitched up quickly to the left and began to "flip," causing the crash.

The plane was then consumed in a fire. NTSB said it retained all structural components of the plane for further examination. 

The pilot from Laval, Quebec, died in the crash. Two other passengers died as well: Martine Arseneault, 45, and Daphne Khawam, 8. 

The NTSB said a final report will be released in 12 to 24 months. 

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