2:47 p.m.

A preliminary report on the fatal plane crash July 17 in South Portland notes that the plane was inspected and cleared for flight two weeks before the crash.

The National transportation Safety Board”s preliminary report notes that the aircraft was subjected to an annual condition inspection on July 2.

The report notes that the pilot, Mark Haskell, had not flown since Sept. 5, 2008. If the plane had sat idle since then, having it inspected by a mechanic was the right thing to do before taking it up, said Al Yurman, an aviation expert from Lakewood, New Jersey, who was contacted by the Press Herald to review the report.

The NTSB report noting corrosion in the fuel pump shows investigators plan to study that component further to determine if it could have caused an interruption in fuel flow, contributing to the crash, Yurman said.

The investigation involved the NTSB investigator in charge, three Federal Aviation Administration inspectors and two representatives of Coy Aircraft Sales Ltd. which provided documents from when Haskell took delivery of the aircraft.

12 p.m.

The National Transportation Safety Board’s investigation into the fatal plane crash in South Portland July 17 revealed that there was corrosion in the fuel pump.

The preliminary report was posted on the NTSB website.

Mark Haskell was flying his Yak-52 as part of a required flight review and was being observed by Thomas Casagrande, a certified flight instructor, when the plane crashed on Western Avenue that afternoon. Both men were killed.

The NTSB preliminary report does not draw any conclusions about the cause of the crash. However, it does recount eyewitness descriptions of the flight and crash and the results of a mechanical investigation.

The report notes that the engine-driven fuel pump operated briefly during an initial test but would not run on a subsequent test. Investigators found corrosion inside the pump to its bypass valve and to its fuel inlet line. Investigators will examine the pump further, the report said.

Just before the Russian-buiilt single engine plane crashed, an air traffic controller observed that the plane’s wings were rocking back and forth. The controller asked if Haskell needed to return to the airport and he responded that he did and began a slow left turn, the report said.

The controller asked if there were any problems and Haskell replied “No, but it’s getting awfully hot in here,” the report said.

The controller then saw the plane nose down into the ground, the report said.

The report said Haskell’s last flight before the crash had been in the Yak-52 on Sept. 5, 2008, according to his logbook.

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