Coroner: April 12 plane crash with Purdue student was a suicide

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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The National Transportation Safety Board published a preliminary report on the April 12 crash of a Purdue Aviation plane that killed 20-year-old Purdue student Alexander Foss.

Tippecanoe County Coroner Carrie Costello also released Foss' final autopsy report, which determined based on forensic evidence that the plane crash was a suicide.

The National Transportation Safety Board report states the times as Central Time, but according to police at the time of the crash, the times are more likely in Eastern Time. The report also has its dates incorrect, indicating that Foss took off on Friday, April 12, and the crash was discovered April 13.

Compensating for the errors and time discrepancies, Foss took off in the Purdue Aviation Piper PA-28 about 7:40 p.m. Thursday, April 11.

More: Saturday update: Fatal plane crash west of U.S. 231 east of Otterbein

More: Pilot who died in single-engine plane crash was 20-year-old Purdue student

"The airplane departed runway 28, conducted four traffic pattern landings, and then continued northwest and climbed to about 4,000 (feet) ... ," the report states. "About 10 miles from (the Purdue airport), the data showed the airplane make numerous turns before (the plane's data system stopped transmitting) ... ."

According to the National Transportation Safety Board's report, the plane stopped transmitting about 8:20 p.m. April 12. However, the local police discovered the crash site about 3:30 p.m. April 12, and police indicated after the plane was found that Purdue Aviation lost contact with the plane around 8:30 p.m. April 11.

At the time of the crash, the preliminary report estimated that visibility was 10 miles and the temperature was 57 degrees. Wind was about 12 mph out of the northwest, the report states.

After the plane crash was discovered April 12, the scene was secured for the night. On Saturday, April 13, local and national investigators extricated the plane from the ground on a farm east of Otterbein and removed Foss' remains.

Reach Ron Wilkins at rwilkins@jconline.com. Follow on Twitter: @RonWilkins2

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Coroner: April 12 plane crash was a suicide of Purdue student pilot