WASHINGTON — The National Transportation Safety Board blames pilot error for a plane crash involving Congressman and Republican gubernatorial nominee Tom Tiffany last month.
According to a preliminary report, the pilot, Leonard Boltz, did not switch the fuel tanks on the Beech K-35 in a timely manner when prompted and did not turn on the electric fuel boost pump.
When Boltz did switch the tanks, the engine lost power, and the aircraft landed in Lake Wausau short of the Wausau Downtown Airport on Sept. 12.
Tiffany and Boltz swam to a shallow part of the lake and were later taken to a local hospital for treatment of minor injuries.
