Blame Assessed in Fatal Dubroff Flight

Bad weather and her flight instructor’s bad judgment were to blame for the crash in Cheyenne last April that killed 7-year-old pilot Jessica Dubroff, federal safety investigators concluded. Pressure to keep to a schedule on the highly publicized attempt for Jessica to become the youngest person to fly across the country may have contributed to the decision, the National Transportation Safety Board said in Washington. Jessica, instructor Joe Reid and Lloyd Dubroff, the girl’s father, took off in an overloaded Cessna 177B and encountered gusty winds and snow. The plane crashed, killing all aboard.