LOWELL, Mich. — While a deadly plane crash near Lowell City Airport is being investigated by the FAA and NTSB, a pilot with decades of experience walks us through what the data says happened before the plane went down.
The incident resulted in the deaths of both the pilot and passenger on board. The pilot was identified as 62-year-old Kevin Lawrence from Presque Isle, and the passenger was 68-year-old Paul Schalk from Rogers City.
According to reports, Lawrence and Schalk had flown out of Alpena and were traveling through the Grand Rapids area before the crash occurred at Whistle Stop Self Storage.
Robert Katz, a commercial pilot and flight instructor with over 43 years of experience, described the final moments leading up to the crash. "The airplane was up on a wing tip where we can see the entire belly of the airplane very low to the ground just before impact," Katz stated.
Katz noted that the aircraft involved was a Vans RV14, a kit airplane built by Lawrence in 2024. "I have every reason to believe that this airplane was airworthy and not deficient in any way," he added.
The crash happened near Lowell City Airport, and Katz suggested that problems began at the end of the flight. He highlighted the flight data from online tracker FlightAware, explaining the significance of the aircraft's altitude and speed. "A low altitude below 3,000 feet may have contributed to the crash," Katz said. He cautioned that as airspeed reduces, the risk of stalling increases, which he believes played a role in this incident.
The crash led to a large explosion and fire, raising questions about the wreckage remaining. "It's questionable how much wreckage remains after the inferno, but the engine certainly will have survived," Katz observed. However, he indicated it could take months before detailed findings from the investigation are released by the FAA and NTSB.
Follow FOX 17: Facebook - X (formerly Twitter) - Instagram - YouTube
