HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) -- NTSB investigators have released a preliminary report on a recent plane crash in Wayne County that killed two men from Michigan.

The plane took off from Tri-State Airport just before 1 p.m. on July 5 and then crashed about four miles from the runway, killing the pilot, Michael Land, and his son, Andrew.

The father and son were heading back to Kalamazoo, Michigan, after visiting family in the Huntington area.

Before takeoff, the report says that the pilot conducted a 25-minute long pre-flight check and noted no discrepancies.

According to the report, the controller "watched the plane ascend and noted no abnormal functions and watched him turn in the distant."

The pilot and controller then had several conversations concerning attitude and headings. The pilot acknowledged that he was at 1,900 feet and climbing to 4,000 feet. The report says communication with the pilot was then lost after the controller instructed him to continue a right turn.

A witness sitting on the back porch of his house told investigators that he heard what sounded like a single engine airplane flying low near his home. He said he heard a loud crash sound resembling metal hitting trees a few moments later --- and then immediately after, the sound of the flying airplane stopped.

The witness said he heard no sound of engine failure.

The NTSB says the plane's initial impact was with 50 feet tall trees. The second impact was with the ground at the top edge of the ridge.

The report says all flight control surfaces were recovered. The right main landing gear strut, backup altimeter, and the left aileron control (balance) weight, were not located.

The engine, propeller, and three avionic components from the plane were retained by the National Transportation Safety Board for further examination.

Click here to read the full preliminary report from the NTSB.

“I hugged him, and I'm pretty sure he gave me a kiss on the cheek,” said Alan Meek.

And that's the last time Meek saw his brother-in-law and nephew. Minutes after returning home from dropping the two off at the airport, he and his wife received word of a plane crash.

“My wife and I returned to the airport and we saw a lady that remembered us being there earlier and I asked her if it was my brother-in-law's plane. She said yes,” Meek said.

Meek is the former Barboursville Police Chief. Michael Land was married to his wife's sister. Andrew, who was 23, was one of the couple's sons. The couple and their two sons were visiting the Meeks for the Fourth of July holiday.

“Nancy, my sister-in-law, and the boys drove up that Friday. Mike flew up in his plane on Saturday so he could celebrate with us,” Meek said.

Michael was the resident and general manager of Phadia -- an allergy and autoimmune diagnostics company based in the Kalamazoo, Michigan area. But, one of the things he loved most was flying.

“He fell in love with flying when he was very young. His brother also flew a lot. He was fortunate enough where he could have his own plane. He really liked to be able to fly places on the spur of the moment,” Meek said.

Meek said Michael's attention to detail always stood out in his pre-flight checks and Sunday was no exception.

“He checked the fuel, the engine, all of the things I guess you're supposed to check. I've flown with Michael several times and he's always checked those things. I've also flown with others and they didn't do what he does,” Meek said.

Meek said Andrew was a kindred spirit with his father. He was a student at Ohio University. He played the trumpet and shared a love for jazz with his father. The two were close to the very end.

“Andrew decided to fly back with his dad to keep him company,” Meek said.

Meek's family and Michael's wife and other son bid the two farewell as the plane took off -- no one realizing it would be their last.

“It just goes to show you how important it is to show family how you appreciate them now. I'm so glad he was my brother-in-law. He was more like a brother to me. We were tight,” Meek said.

Meek said he and his brother-in-law actually stayed up late the night before talking and going over the day's exciting events. He said the last thing Michael said to him on Sunday before saying goodbye was, "Book me for the Fourth of July next year".

Obregon said there did not appear to be evidence of a fire or explosion in the crash. He said there was no mayday call or any indication there was anything wrong on the flight.

"Looked like a normal procedure taking off for an IFR (Instrument Flight Rules) flight," Jose Obregon said.

Obregon said the pilot was in the process of moving from 19-hundred to 23-thousand feet when the crash took place.

Obregon said the biggest piece of the wreckage that is left intact is the engine.

The NTSB will have a preliminary report on the crash out within 5 to 10 days. The actual investigation of the crash could take anywhere from six months to a year and a half, according to Obregon. The NTSB will study the weather, the pilot's history and the remnants of the Cessna 400 among other items to compile its report.

Meek says Michael was an avid aviator who was meticulous about his pre-flight checks.

"I watched him go over every inch of that plane on Sunday. He was thorough. I've flown with him and I've flown with other people and he checks things the others don't," said Meek.

Meek says Michael's wife and two sons drove down from Michigan to spend the Fourth of July holiday with Meek's family earlier in the week. Michael flew in on Saturday. On Sunday, Michael and Andrew decided to fly back together and Michael's other son, Zachary, who is 18, decided to drive back with his mother.

"They are just the best family and we're all hurting right now," said Meek.

Michael was President and General Manager for Phadia, an allergy and autoimmune diagnostics company. Andrew was a student at Ohio University. Both were musicians and jazz enthusiasts.

It happened just before 1 p.m. Sunday in the Buffalo Creek area in Wayne County. It took emergency crew some time to find the crash scene, which is just off Rice Branch Road in a rural area in Wayne County---about a mile from where they will let our crew go. Crews can only access it with ATVs.

Shortly after they arrived at the scene, emergency crews said there are no survivors.

Initial reports from the airport indicated that at least two people were on board. Investigators are now confirming two people were on board---a father and son, and both were killed in the crash.

"The pilot was in contact with Air Traffic Control before the aircraft crashed," said Peter Knudson, Public Affairs Officer with the National Transportation Safety Board, in an e-mail statement. "There were two people on board (including the pilot) and both were fatally injured."

The crash site is approximately four miles south of Tri-State Airport.

During a brief news conference at about 3:15 p.m., Kevin Price with Huntington Tri-State Airport said that crews are currently in recovery efforts. Price said that the plane was taking off from Tri-State Airport (HTS) and was in a typical take-off and landing pattern when it crashed.

Spokesman Jim Peters with the FAA says the plane, a single-engine Columbia LC41, was registered to a Richland, Mich., man. Peters says other details, including the name of the victim, aren't known.

According to flight records, the plane was headed to Kalamazoo/Battlecreek International Airport in Michigan.

Garrett Mayo, who lives near the crash site, says he and his family heard what they thought was a motorcycle speeding by their house and then it suddenly stopped. He says his house shook. Garrett went outside to see if he could find the motorcycle. Instead, he found wreckage from the plane.

Another person who lives nearby, Renee Spence, says she heard what sounded like a loud truck before a crash, then realized it was a plane. She said neighbors came out of their homes and started looking for the plane. Spence says the plane sounded like it was extremely low.

According to a weather report issued for Tri-State Airport at 12:51 p.m., the flight rules were IFR, or Instrument Flight Rules, meaning that the conditions required the pilot to use the plane's instrument panels to navigate. The cloud cover was reported to be "overcast" at 800 feet.

Investigators with the NTSB are en route to the crash scene.

Back on January 30, a Piper PA-34 aircraft crashed in Wayne County, killing six people from Chicago. It happened near Route 75 between Haney’s branch and Plymale Branch. The FAA reported that the plane was low on fuel and the pilot was largely unresponsive to controllers' requests and instructions before the accident.