DANVILLE, Va. (AP) — A preliminary report says the pilot of a plane that crashed at Virginia International Raceway was attempting an aerobatic move at time of the fatal incident.

The National Transportation Safety Board stated in its preliminary investigation report that 46-year-old Jon Couch was in the middle of initiating a barrel roll when it struck trees and terrain before catching fire.

The Sept. 19 crash at the track along the border of Halifax and Pittsylvania counties also killed Couch’s mother, 72-year-old Frances G. Couch of Annapolis, Maryland. The pilot also was from Annapolis.

The Danville Register & Bee reports (http://bit.ly/1DDwjsu) that, according to the report, two-seat tandem aircraft was manufactured in 1954.

The report also said Jon Couch held a private pilot certificate with ratings for single-engine and multiengine land aircraft.

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Information from: Danville Register & Bee, http://www.registerbee.com

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