When did Tonys accident happen?
On September 25, 2004, Tony was the passenger of a three-engine (tri-motor Bushmaster Aircraft 2000) airplane that veered off the runway during takeoff at Fullerton Municipal Airport during an airport festival and then crashed moments later. The plane crashed while on a test flight and was not participating in the day’s events at the time. It took 20 months for the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) to complete their investigation of the accident. Their findings concur with what had already been speculated in the aviation community for some time now, that the plane crash could have been easily prevented if the pilot had properly checked the plane prior to take off. The NTSB concluded that a strap used to hold the rudder stationary was not removed. As a result, the aircraft was rendered uncontrollable on the ground and in the air. Despite having several opportunities to shut the plane down before attempting to take off, the pilot chose to endanger everyones life at the airport
