Though initial reports said the pilot of a plane that made a “hard landing” at the Gainesville airport last month with a passenger at the controls had suffered a “medical issue,” federal investigators are now listing the incident as a “fatal” one.
97.5 GLORY FM has confirmed, through an obituary, that Charlie Kapetanakos, 81, of Tucker died October 20 at Northeast Georgia Medical Center Gainesville. The incident happened two days earlier. EARLIER STORY. POSTED OCT. 22: Updated FAA report on Gville airport incident
A check of the National Transportation Safety Board’s (NTSB) website Monday showed that a report on the incident is still in the works though a preliminary report on accidents and other incidents is usually released within a week or two, while it may take a year or longer for a final report to be completed.
According to Kapetanakos’ obituary, flying had long been one of his loves. “Charles found joy in hiking, traveling, and flying,” the obit reads. “Charles was a proud member of the UFO (United Flying Octogenarians) senior pilot global organization, pilots who have acted as a certified pilot in command on or after their 80th birthday.”