Turkish engineer dies in plane crash in US

ISTANBUL

A Turkish engineer died in a plane crash on a lake in Napa County in California on May 8, U.S. media reports have said.

The single-motor ICON A5 Amphibious Light Sport Aircraft, which has the ability to land on both land and at sea, crashed on Berryessa Lake around 20 minutes after takeoff, ABC7news reported quoting officials.

Çağrı Sever, 41, and pilot Jon Karkow, 55, two employees of Icon Aircraft, which produces the small amphibious plane, were killed in the crash.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) also launched an investigation following the first deadly crash of the amphibious aircraft.

A graduate of machine engineering from Ankara’s Middle East Technical University (ODTÜ), Sever moved to the U.S. after obtaining a master’s degree. He completed his PhD at Leigh University and had worked at Ford for three years as a product design and development manager. 

Icon Aircraft CEO Kirk Hawkins meanwhile released a statement over the accident.

“It is with great sadness that I write this. Earlier today, two Icon employees were killed in an A5 accident while flying at Lake Berryessa, CA. We have no details on the cause of the accident right now. The NTSB and FAA have been notified and Icon will be working closely with them to fully support their investigation,” Hawkins said.

According to the technical specification on the Icon website, the A5 can go up to 193 kilometers per hour with a range of 556 kilometers. The aircraft weighs 446 kilograms and costs $190,000.