A pilot’s mistake with the engine fuel setting caused a small plane crash that killed him, his wife, and their three young children, a new report has found.
Victor Dotsenko, 43, was flying his family from Ontario, Canada, to Nashville, Tennessee, when the accident happened on March 4, 2024.
Fuel Selector Error Led to Engine Failure
According to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), there were no mechanical issues with the Piper PA-32RT aircraft. Instead, the crash was caused by a fuel selector being set between the ‘off’ position and the left main tank.
This setting cut off fuel to the engine, leading to failure. The issue likely happened while Dotsenko was adjusting the controls before landing.
Chilling Final Moments Captured on Audio
Dotsenko had arranged to land at John C. Thune Airport in Nashville and was in contact with air traffic control. But as he approached, he realized something was wrong.
‘I’m going to be landing, but I don’t know where,’ he said in cockpit audio recorded before the crash. Moments later, he reported that his engine had turned off.
Air traffic controllers urged him to glide towards the runway, but he was too far away. His final words before impact were: ‘I’m too far away, I won’t make it.’
Crash Near Busy Interstate
The plane crashed near Interstate 40, behind a Costco store. Dashcam footage from passing motorists captured the moment the aircraft hit the ground and burst into flames.
Despite the fiery crash, no one on the ground was injured.
Community Mourns the Loss
Dotsenko’s wife, Rimma, 39, and their children, David, 12, Adam, 10, and Emma, 7, were also on board.
The family’s Toronto-area community was devastated. UMCA Rich Tree Academy, where the children attended school, described them as ‘beautiful children’ who ‘lit up our hallways every day.’
Mayor Steve Pellegrini called it a ‘heartbreaking loss’ for the close-knit community.
The investigation confirmed the pilot’s error as the cause, offering some answers but little comfort to those mourning the tragic loss.