Pilot 'selfies' may have caused fatal Colorado plane crash

A fatal plane crash may have been caused by pilots taking selfies, according to safety experts.

CNN reports that the aircraft, which crashed in Colorado last May, killing the pilot and passenger, may have been brought down because the pilots were taking photos of themselves.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) reports that an undamaged GoPro camera was found at the scene, and investigators were able to recover the contents of the camera's data card.

Videos found on the device showed Amritpal Singh, the 29-year-old pilot, with passengers from flights the previous day, as well as images of a recent night-time trip.

The NTSB's report of the investigation mentioned the camera's flash had been active during the night-time footage, illuminating the cockpit area.

The pilot's final flight on May 31, 2014 was not recorded on the camera. However, according to ABC news, the report includes information and descriptions of seven videos that were found on the GoPro.

The report also says that the camera was 'mounted in the plane above the instrument panel' and it was facing the pilot, recording the occupants of the front seat.

The pilot was at the controls of the Cessna-150 when it stalled and crashed just after midnight on the 31st. The report states: "The airplane impacted the field with the left wing first, bounced one time and came to rest upright."

According to The Guardian, investigators confirmed that taking photos during the trip may have caused the pilot some 'spatial disorientation' which could have led to the crash.

The plane did not have any mechanical problems that would have prompted the fatal crash.

In a statement given to ABC news, a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) clarified that during their flights, pilots are allowed to use cameras; however they are not allowed to use cameras on mobile phones. FAA regulations "prohibit commercial pilots from using a personal wireless communications device or laptop computer for personal use while at their duty station on the flight deck", he said.


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