The private plane crash in March that led to the death of a North Carolina dentist and his wife was caused when the aircraft struck a parked flatbed trailer and a gravel-covered storage lot, according to the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
Dr. Mark Bowman. Image courtesy of Drs. Bowman, Padgett & Associates.
The plane -- which was piloted by Dr. Mark Bowman of Drs. Bowman, Padgett & Associates in Greenville, NC, and was carrying his wife Robin -- crashed minutes after it departed Pitt-Greenville Airport on March 14. Bowman, who owned the plane, and his wife were the only individuals on the plane.
The plane was headed to Vero Beach Regional Airport in Vero Beach, FL, which was the first part of a trip to the Dominican Republic, where Bowman and his wife were headed to provide dental care to underserved communities and mentor dental students, according to the safety board’s preliminary report.
A witness told authorities that the plane descended out of a cloud near the end of the airport runway, then the aircraft did a 360° roll to the right before it leveled off for 100 feet. Then the plane rolled again to the right, and before the rotation went about halfway, the aircraft crashed to the ground, according to the report.
The accident site and wreckage were examined, revealing that the airplane hit a trailer and storage lot. The plane's right wingtip fuel tank damaged the trailer and came to rest below a hole it had made in the flatbed trailer. The wreckage was kept for further examination, according to the report. The complete NTSB report can take up to two years to complete.
Bowman, who was fondly remembered by patients and practice employees, earned his dental degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1986 and practiced dentistry in the eastern region of the state for more than 33 years. He was a member of the ADA, the Academy of General Dentistry, the North Carolina Dental Society, the Fifth District Dental Society, and the Flying Dentist Association.
