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WOODBINE - A final report on a 2008 plane crash at the Woodbine Airport confirms what investigators said at the time.

Solo pilot in training Dr. David Rola bounced off the runway while trying to land Aug. 16, 2008, but did not have enough speed to get airborne again. He crashed in a field, smashing the plane to pieces.

Rola, an Ocean County doctor, walked away from the crash and was not seriously injured. Nobody else was on board.

The National Transportation Safety Board released a final report this month on the accident. Rola, a student pilot who had logged 75 hours of flying time, was practicing touch-and-go landings.

On what would be his last approach, he slowed the plane to 38 knots but came down hard on the runway, bouncing 10 to 15 feet in the air.

He applied power intending to return airborne and circle for another landing, but was going too slow to get lift, the report said. The plane rolled to the left and crashed in a grass field next to the runway, crumpling the P2002 Sierra's wing and landing gear and shearing off the propeller blades.

The report concluded that neither the plane nor its instruments malfunctioned.

"The 75-hour student pilot stated that he was under stress due to an issue related to work and he should not have been flying that day," the report found. "He also reported, 'He was much less focused than he should have been.'"

Rola, 59, of Barnegat Township, could not be reached for comment Wednesday.

Federal investigators concluded that pilot error was to blame in not maintaining proper air speed. The pilot's emotional and mental state also contributed to the accident, the investigators found.

Contact Michael Miller:

609-463-6712

MMiller@pressofac.com

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