The pilot of a Universal Stinson 108 that crashed earlier this month near Sugar Valley Airport in Mocksville, North Carolina, had reportedly lifted a wheel mid-landing to avoid hitting a turtle, according to a preliminary National Transportation Safety Board report.

The June 3 accident claimed the lives of the pilot and one passenger, while another passenger was seriously injured. The aircraft came down just beyond the runway in dense woods and caught fire on impact.

A communications operator at the airport office had seen the turtle on the runway and informed the pilot, the report noted. The plane landed about 1,400 feet down the 2,424-foot runway. To avoid the animal, the pilot lifted the right main wheel and reportedly advanced the throttle shortly afterward. The aircraft then moved out of the operator’s view.

The Universal Stinson 108.

A man mowing the grass near the runway end also witnessed the incident. He saw the pilot lift the wheel to dodge the turtle, observed the wings rocking, and then saw the aircraft lift off again. Moments later, he heard a crash and noticed smoke rising from the forested area.

Officials later located the wreckage around 255 feet from the runway. The aircraft was largely intact despite the fire, though some fabric debris had ended up in a nearby stream. It came to rest on its left side with the left wing folded beneath the fuselage and the right wing bent back toward the tail.

As explained on the NTSB’s website, preliminary reports include only factual information gathered from the scene. The probable cause of the crash won’t be determined until the final report is released, which can take up to two years to complete.