A new report from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) suggests that selfies were responsible for a small plane crash that killed two men on May 31, 2014.

Pilot Taking Selfies Before Crash

Pilot Amritpal Singh, 29, and his passenger, Jatinder Singh, 31, were killed in the crash last year, and investigators used footage salvaged from a GoPro camera that survived the crash to determine that Singh had been in the habit of taking selfies while flying. The GoPro, attached to the dashboard, did not record any footage from the fatal flight, but it showed previous flights during which Singh and various passengers would take photos.

In the last recording, taken during a flight from earlier on the night of the crash, Singh and his passenger were reportedly taking photos with flash during takeoff, something investigators believe could have occurred during the final flight and contributed to the crash.

“The GoPro recordings revealed that the pilot and various passengers were taking self-photographs with their cell phones and, during the night flight, using the camera’s flash function during the takeoff roll, initial climb, and flight in the traffic pattern,” reads the NTSB’s accident report, released on Jan. 27.

The report states that investigators found no mechanical defects in the aircraft, a CESSNA 150, and determined that the nature of the high-speed impact crash likely occurred after the pilot lost control of the plane somehow, causing it to stall and lose altitude.

“Based on the evidence of cell phone use during low-altitude maneuvering, including the flight immediately before the accident flight, it is likely that cell phone use during the accident flight distracted the pilot and contributed to the development of spatial disorientation and subsequent loss of control,” the report concludes.

According to the NTSB, Singh did not meet the requirements necessary to operate a plane at night with passengers.

Article by Olivia Truffaut-Wong

Olivia Truffaut-Wong was born and raised in Berkeley, California, where she developed her love of all things entertainment. After moving to New York City to earn her degree in Film Studies, she stayed on the East Coast to follow her passion and become an entertainment writer. She lives on a diet of television, movies and food.