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Report: Plane that crashed in DeLand went years without inspection

Owner planned on selling plane after repairs were made

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DeLand – The owner of the an airplane that crashed in DeLand on Sept. 29 said he planned on selling the airplane after making repairs, according to a report by the National Transportation Safety Board

Three people were killed when the plane crashed in a wooded area near State Road 44 and Grand Avenue. 

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The owner purchased the airplane June 21, and the report said the plane hadn't had an annual inspection done on it for years. 

The owner hired a mechanic to make necessary repairs and conduct an annual inspection on the airplane, the report said.

During the inspection of the airplane, the mechanic informed the owner that the left tachometer generator and the fuel gauges did not work, along with other items that needed repair and replacement, according to the report.

The owner planned that once all of the work was done and the annual inspection was complete the mechanic would find a pilot to transport the airplane to Texas, where he resided, the report said.

The mechanic subsequently told the owner that he found a flight instructor who was able to fly the airplane back to Texas, according to the report.

The owner stated that he did not know the pilot nor the other passenger onboard the airplane, and was not aware that the airplane was being flown by anyone when the accident occurred, the report said.

The mechanic stated that he had not completed the necessary repairs to the airplane, nor had he signed off on the airplane's annual inspection at the time of the accident, according to the report.