Graybill's last radio call

All federal investigators have concluded in their preliminary report of the Aug. 12th plane crash that killed John Graybill, 79, and his wife, Dolores, 78, was the plane suffered a "loss of control" just before impact. But the report, filed Tuesday, reveals a second pilot was behind Graybill as the duo prepared to cut through the Sunshine Mountains on the 162-mile journey from Tanana to McGrath.

With weather worsening and Graybill making a bee line for what appeared to the rear pilot to be the worst of it, Graybill radioed, "Buddy are you still with me?"

"Barely," replied the second pilot, unnamed in the NTSB report, who described the deteriorating weather as "turbulent, dark and rainy."

When the second pilot lost sight of Graybill, he radioed to Graybill that he was "out of here" and turned around, but Graybill did not respond. Three minutes later the second pilot heard a burst of noise on the radio. Despite repeated attempts, he was unable to make contact with Graybill. The second pilot successfully made his way to McGrath. Later that same day, Graybill's plane was located "on raising terrain at the end of a canyon," according to the NTSB report, which also describes the crash as being "consistent with a left wing and low nose impact."