A Silverdale man who died after crashing his small plane last month had safely landed and took off from Bremerton National Airport Nov. 17.

Richard E. Nims, 74, had originally taken off from Apex Airpark in Silverdale and was reported missing six days later.

Although the Kitsap County Coroner’s Office ruled the cause of death was determined to be blunt force injuries to the head, neck and chest, Debra Eckrote, deputy regional chief for the National Transportation Safety Board, said the investigation into the cause of the crash would take “several months.”

The 2004 Citabria Scout crashed at about 4:35 p.m. Nov. 17 in a heavily wooded area about four miles north of Bremerton, according to a preliminary report filed Dec. 16 by the safety board. The report also states that “no flight plan was filed for the flight that originated from Bremerton about four minutes prior to the collision.”

“We’ve got evidence that he landed in Bremerton,” Eckrote said.

Wreckage from the collision was discovered Nov. 28.