efs4ever 3 #1 June 15, 2003 By The Associated Press (6/14/03 - GLADEWATER) — A 60-year-old pilot was killed Saturday while doing stunts over Gladewater in East Texas. DPS Trooper Carl Davis says the left wing of Thomas Southern's single-engine plane broke off about 9am. Davis says the plane hit the ground at a high rate of speed and killed the Longview man instantly. The crash occurred about a half-mile south of the Gladewater Airport and a half-mile west of Highway 271. Davis says the pilot was in the air "playing" on a beautiful day. Many others enjoying the day saw the plane go down. Southern was an aerobatic instructor described by the trooper as a "very killed" pilot. The FAA is investigating. There is a DZ at this Airport. East Texas SkydiversRussell M. Webb D 7014 Attorney at Law 713 385 5676 https://www.tdcparole.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
QuickDraw 0 #2 June 15, 2003 You may want to post this in the incidents section. A moderator may move it anyway. -- Hope you don't die. -- I'm fucking winning Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chuteless 1 #3 June 15, 2003 why wasn't the guy wearing a rig...was he doing aerobatics?why dont these guys think. I've built and rebuilt several aircraft, and found one spar that was entirely wrapped with fabric...holding moisture in until (when I saw it) the wood was so soft you could poke your finger through it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
airann 1 #4 June 15, 2003 VERY SKILLED is likely what they meant as he was reported to have been an aerobatics instructor. (not likely a skydiver, I am guessing) RW- I dont know this gentleman .... very sad. One thing... I bet he loved to fly and he had been doing it a long time. ~AirAnn~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
quade 4 #5 June 16, 2003 Perhaps a very unintentionally odd typo.quade - The World's Most Boring Skydiver Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
quade 4 #6 June 16, 2003 Bill -- I would assume that he probably did have a pilot rig on. However, as you might be aware, it's not always possible to extricate yourself from a in-flight break-up. It's not an uncommon way to go for acro pilots.quade - The World's Most Boring Skydiver Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freeflir29 0 #7 June 16, 2003 QuoteIt's not an uncommon way to go for acro pilots. No doubt!!! I did my first acrobatics in a Citaubria with my brother. It was actually the first time I had donned a parachute. In a super C you have to pull a yellow handle in an emergency. That makes the door "fall off." Then you have to bail out and dump a round. The guy in the front will probably make it. The guy in the back/.............. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
