Nation IN BRIEF : INDIANA : Cargo Plane Crash Tied to Pilot Error

Pilot error caused the crash of a Kentucky Air National Guard cargo plane that killed 16 people near an airport in Evansville, Ind., news reports said. The Evansville Courier reported that pilots were distracted by procedures and did not immediately notice a drop in airspeed that led to the Feb. 6 crash. The Courier quoted unnamed military sources. Evansville radio station WIKY-AM reported that the crew was practicing an engine-failure maneuver when an air traffic controller told them the National Guard wanted them to return to Standiford Field in Louisville, Ky. The station reported that the crew forgot that one of four engines was still intentionally idled, and the plane flipped sideways when a crewman turned the rudder in the direction of the stalled engine.