A 70-year-old Wisconsin man died Sunday, Nov. 8, after his military-style jet crashed into a field in Mayfield, Kentucky, shortly after takeoff.
What began as a cross-country flight with his daughter quickly turned into a fatal emergency.
James Alan Michaels of Dousman, Wisconsin, was flying one of two L-39 Albatros jets, while his 35-year-old daughter, Tonie Michaels, operated the other.
“The father and daughter were flying back to Wisconsin from Mississippi,” the Graves County Sheriff’s Office told Fox News Digital.
The pair had attended an air show and stopped at a Mayfield airport to refuel, according to the sheriff’s office.
After taking off, the two jets began climbing when Michaels reported that he was experiencing problems, officials said. He intended to turn around and return to the airport.
Shortly afterward, he radioed that he would not be able to land, the sheriff’s office said.
“We think he tried to land in an open field,” officials said.
At about 2:08 p.m., the aircraft crashed near Spence Chapel Road, just off Interstate 69 and Kentucky 131. According to the sheriff’s office, the jet struck a ditch in the field.
“The ditch seems to be the cause of the main impact,” the sheriff’s office said. “The plane caught fire and actually rolled.”
Michaels was the only person aboard. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
His daughter arrived at the crash site soon afterward, authorities said.
“She turned around and landed back at the airport. [Then] she started making phone calls.”
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Russell Brand: Police Say ‘Several More’ People Have Come Forward
The Federal Aviation Administration told Fox News Digital that the crash occurred at approximately 2:25 p.m. local time. That estimate differs from the time recorded by local authorities, who reported the crash at 2:08 p.m.
The National Transportation Safety Board said it will oversee the investigation.
An investigator was expected to reach the site Monday evening to document the wreckage and inspect the aircraft. The plane was then to be moved to a secure facility for additional examination, the NTSB said.
The agency said its investigation will focus on three main areas: the pilot, the aircraft and the operating environment.
Investigators will collect flight-tracking data, air traffic control recordings, maintenance documents, witness accounts and weather information, according to the NTSB.
They will also examine Michaels’ pilot license, ratings, recent flight experience and 72-hour history to determine whether any factors may have affected his ability to operate the jet safely.
The NTSB emphasized that it does not establish or speculate about the cause of a crash during the on-scene portion of an investigation.
The agency’s final report, expected within 12 to 24 months, will identify the probable cause and any contributing factors.
The fatal crash came 16 years after Michaels and his daughter survived another small-plane accident in a remote section of Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado, according to a contemporaneous WBAY News report.
On July 8, 2010, Michaels was piloting a single-engine aircraft with his daughter aboard when the plane encountered a powerful downdraft.
The aircraft made a crash landing in dense timber in Forest Canyon as the pair flew toward Aspen, according to a National Park Service summary report included in the NTSB docket.
Both escaped the 2010 crash with only minor cuts and scratches.
Stranded overnight during evening storms, they built a makeshift shelter from branches and portions of the damaged aircraft, The Denver Post reported at the time.
