Pilot killed in Falmouth plane crash was blinded by 'bright sunlight,' report finds

FALMOUTH - The survivor of a deadly Falmouth plane crash earlier this month says the pilot killed in the crash was blinded by "bright sunlight," according to a new NTSB report.

Carl Willis, 83, died after the single-engine plane crashed in a grassy area short of the runway at Falmouth Airpark on December 3. He and 70-year-old Candace Oldham, who was seriously injured, were returning from a day trip to Westfield-Barnes Regional Airport.

The NTSB report said Oldham confirmed in an interview that the sun was in the pilot's eyes as they came in for a landing at about 3 p.m.

"She knew they were going to hit the trees," the report stated. "She believed the pilot couldn't see because of the bright sunlight at the time of the approach."

It's not believed that there were any problems with the engine or flight controls at the time of the crash.