NTSB Finds Engine Issues With Plane That Crashed Into Plainville House

BOSTON (AP) — Federal investigators say the engine of a small plane that crashed into a Massachusetts home last month had a breach in the crankcase, two puncture holes near a cylinder and a fractured oil sump.

The preliminary report released Tuesday by the National Transportation Safety Board also said a cable and a turnbuckle exhibited overload fractures. The report did not indicate whether the problems occurred pre- or post-crash and did not draw any conclusions on whether they contributed to the deadly accident in Plainville on June 28.

All three people aboard the plane — Dr. Joseph Richard Kalister of Knoxville, Tennessee; his wife, Betty; and their teenage daughter, Nicole — died.

A family of four escaped unharmed from the home.

The pilot reported losing engine power minutes before the crash.

Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.