Expert: Socata That Crashed on 287 'a Very Capable Airplane'

The 2005 Socata TBM700 Pilot Jeffrey Buckalew flew–, killing all passengers–was a very sophisticated airplane.

That, according to Mark Phelps who, besides being an instrument rated licensed private pilot, has logged over 2,000 flying hours and has written for 30 years about aviation.

The owner and sole operator of a 1954 Beech E35 Bonanza, the Basking Ridge resident said Buckalew's plane, with its single engine, was "within the relatively rational grasp" for someone who is not a professional pilot.

"For a properly trained and current pilot, it's really no more difficult than what I fly. In some ways it may be easier," Phelps said. "It's a very capable airplane. Its Pratt & Whitney PT6 turbo prop engine ... is highly reliable over time. It has great altitude capability. And with its deicing equipment, it is approved for flight in known icing conditions. But even with such deicing equipment, it’s still possible to be brought down by severe icing conditions, and the investigators will focus on whether that was a factor."

The issue of icing conditions the morning of Dec. 20 over Morris County has become an issue of speculation as to the cause of the fatal crash.

Phelps, who has listened to , noted one element of the 1 minute, 42 second snippet that stood out. "Several people were asking about the ice," he said. "They wanted to get through the altitudes of icing very quickly. It's common to pass info along that they've (Air Traffic Control) gotten from other pilots."

As for reports from the National Transportation Safety Board that the investigation could take six-to-12 months to complete, Phelps said simply ... they all take that long.

"I always bristle at the way the news, especially television news, emphasize how it could take months," the pilot said. "That's standard. They always take at least six to eight months for a fatal accident for the NTSB to come up with a final report. They look at everything. They have a lot of boxes to check off. They'll be looking at maintenance record of the plane, the pilot's recent experience, the initial training and, of course, the weather in great detail."

Some eyewitnesses said it seemed like Buckalew was trying to avoid houses as his plane came to its fateful end. But Phelps said, while not yet confirmed, "if the right wing came off in flight, if that were to be confirmed, then it was falling.

"There's nothing you can do when you're missing a wing," Phelps said, adding it is "extremely rare" for people to be injured on the ground from falling airplane wreckage. "It's almost off the charts," he said.