The controller coordinated with a controller in an adjacent sector and, 25 seconds later, directed Buckalew to climb higher.

WSJ: NTSB: Pilot action, icing led to NJ plane crash

Buckalew was the registered owner of the single-engine Socata TBM 700 and had more than 1, 400 hours of flight time, according to the report.

WSJ: NTSB: Pilot action, icing led to NJ plane crash

The National Transportation Safety Board report concluded that while Buckalew had asked air traffic controllers to fly higher and out of the icing conditions, he may have been reluctant to exercise his own authority to do so, or may have been unaware of the severity of the conditions.

WSJ: NTSB: Pilot action, icing led to NJ plane crash