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Cause Of Plane Crash In North Phoenix Could Take A Year

Authorities say a pilot suffered second- and third-degree burns after his plane crashed west of Deer Valley Airport on Tuesday. The cause of the crash is still unknown.

The pilot was flying a Mooney M-20, which is considered a reliable aircraft.

FAA spokesman Ian Gregor said an FAA inspector has already been on the scene.

"And we will work closely with the [National Transportation Safety Board], which is the lead agency," he said. "The NTSB determines the probable cause for an airplane accident and it often takes a year or more to complete that process."

Gregor says the plane was manufactured in 2019.  Authorities say the plane was headed to Carson City, Nevada, when it went down. One wing was sheared off from hitting a light pole.

KJZZ senior field correspondent Kathy Ritchie has 20 years of experience reporting and writing stories for national and local media outlets — nearly a decade of it has been spent in public media.