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<< Previous   of   Next >> KEVIN NORTZ / THE HERALD  (click to enlarge) Wanda Craig speaks about her son Casey Craig, who was aboard the plane that crashed near White Pass, as her son Kelly Craig comforts her in October 2007.  Photo Gallery: Crash Claims Local Skydivers  Photo Gallery: Crash Victims   ADVERTISEMENT   Related Stories • 10 victims of plane crash honored a year after their deaths 10/8/08 • A year after plane crash, pain still fresh for families 10/5/08 • Skydivers' families fight for Cessna decertification 2/18/08 • Lawsuit filed in plane crash that killed sky divers 12/5/07 • Hundreds honor lost sky divers 10/28/07 • Plane encountered rainy weather just before crash 10/19/07 • In Snohomish, feeling of loss overwhelming 10/11/07 • Icing likely didn't cause crash, says investigator 10/11/07 • Answers sought in plane crash that killed 10 10/10/07 • Snohomish, sky diving community mourn loss of their own 10/10/07 • Love of sky brought group together 10/10/07   CONTACT THE HERALD Robert Frank, City Editor frank@heraldnet.com   Published: Thursday, May 14, 2009 Ice may not have caused skydiver plane crash By Bill Sheets Herald Writer A plane crash in October 2007 that killed nine Snohomish-based skydivers and the pilot likely was not caused by ice on the wings, according to a federal report released this week. Several of those who died in the accident in the Cascade Range near White Pass were from Snohomish County and regularly jumped at Harvey Field in Snohomish.. National Transportation Safety Board investigators compared simulator data to conditions present at the time of the crash. They concluded that if ice had been present, the aircraft likely would have stalled out much earlier than when it crashed. Radar data showed that the plane maintained a mostly steady altitude until only about two minutes before the crash, when it plummeted more than 10,000 feet into the side of a mountain. Icing conditions were present at the time, according to weather reports, leading to speculation that ice on the wings had contributed to the crash. The cause of the crash still has not been determined. A final report is not expected for several more months, according to a spokesman for the safety board. The pilot and skydivers were returning from a weekend skydiving event in Idaho, on the way to Shelton, when the crash occurred. Their deaths have resulted in lawsuits. READER COMMENTS Be the first to comment. You must be a registered user and verify your e-mail address to post comments to blogs or articles on HeraldNet. To register, click here. To read other terms and conditions, click here. Log out

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