Loading...
The URL can be used to link to this page
Your browser does not support the video tag.
Home
My Public Portal
About
Air Crash of Bill Keating Family
Former McCall public works rt chief, 2 grandchildren, die when planes collide Pilot of second plane rescues 3-year-old from burning wreckage BY MICHAEL WELLS The Star -News Former McCall public works director Bill Keating and two of his grandsons were killed Friday night when the plane Keating was piloting and another plane collided at McCall Airport. Keating, 52, was dead at the scene of the crash on the south end of the airport runway. Also dead at the scene were Dylan Pickering,1, and William Pickering, 6, of Caldwell. A third grandson, Tyler Pickering, 3, was rescued from the burning wreckage by the occupants of the second plane and was being treated Wednesday at a Salt Lake City hospital. The pilot of the other plane, Justin Mooney, 30, of Post Falls, and a passenger, Mark Fuller, 27, of Hayden escaped with minor injuries in the crash, which happened about 7:50 p.m. Friday. Keating retired from the city of McCall in March 2006 after working for the city since 1981. Since retir- ing, he had worked as a public works consultant. Funeral services for Keating and the two Pickering children had not been announced as of Wednesday. Mid -Air Collision Keating and Mooney were both flying single - engine Cessna 172 airplanes and both were making their final approachto the airport when the planes collided in mid -air. Mooney said in an interview with KTVB-TV in Boise that he heard a "huge noise" when his plane was about 30 feet off the ground. Mooney said flames were "everywhere" and he told Fuller they needed to get out of the plane. As he and Fuller exited the plane and began to run away from the flames, Mooney heard someone screaming. He then noticed there was another plane involved in the accident. See CRASH, Page A-10 ♦ Obituaries of victims —Page A-2 Graphic by Tomi Grote, The Star-News/Photo courtesy City of McCall GIS; USDA National Agricultural Imagery Program Illustration shows were two planes collided near the ground Friday night at the southern end of the McCall Airport runway and where the fused wreckase of the planes came to rest. " " C r a s h : t h r e e d i e w h e n p l a n e s c o l l i d e a t M c C a l l a i r p o r t ( C o n t i n u e d f r o m P a g e A - 1 ) M o o n e y n o t i c e d T y l e r P i c k e r - i n g t r y i n g t o g e t o u t o f t h e p l a n e . M o o n e y t o l d K T V B - T V t h a t h e p u l l e d T y l e r P i c k e r i n g , w h o w a s o n f i r e , o u t o f t h e p l a n e a n d p u t h i m i n t h e s n o w t o p u t o u t t h e f l a m e s . T h e c h i l d w a s t a k e n b y L i f e F l i g h t h e l i c o p t e r t o B o i s e a n d t h e n t r a n s p o r t e d t o a b u r n u n i t a t t h e U n i v e r s i t y o f U t a h H o s p i t a l i n S a l t L a k e C i t y . P i c k e r i n g i s r e c o v e r i n g f r o m t h i r d - d e g r e e b u r n s o n h i s a r m s , l e g s a n d t o r s o . A h o s p i t a l s p o k e s - m a n d e c l i n e d t o r e l e a s e h i s c o n d i t i o n o n W e d n e s d a y . A p r e l i m i n a r y r e p o r t o n t h e c r a s h c o u l d b e r e l e a s e d b y F r i d a y , s a i d N a t i o n a l T r a n s p o r t a t i o n S a f e t y B o a r d I n v e s t i g a t o r - i n - C h a r g e D e n n i s H o g e n s o n , o f S e a t t l e . A f i n a l r e p o r t w i l l n o t b e r e l e a s e d f o r a n o t h e r s i x m o n t h s , H o g e n s o n s a i d . I t i s n o t k n o w n i f t h e p i l o t s w e r e u s i n g t h e a i r p o r t ' s o p e n - f r e q u e n c y r a d i o c h a n n e l t o a l e r t o t h e r p i l o t s o f t h e i r i n t e n t i o n s t o u s e t h e r u n w a y , H o g e n s o n s a i d . M c C a l l ' s a i r p o r t i s a n u n c o n - t r o l l e d a i r s p a c e a i r p o r t , w h i c h m e a n s i t i s u p t o t h e p i l o t s t o e n s u r e t h e i r o w n s a f e t y . F i r e P u t O u t Q u i c k l y M c C a l l F i r e P r o t e c - t i o n D i s t r i c t f i r e f i g h t e r s a n d e m e r - g e n c y m e d i c a l t e c h n i c i a n s r e s p o n d e d t o t h e s c e n e w i t h i n t w o m i n u t e s o f t h e c a l l t o f i n d t h e t w o p l a n e s e n g u l f e d i n f l a m e s . T h e f i r e w a s e x t i n - g u i s h e d u s i n g f o a m a n d w a - t e r i n a b o u t 1 2 m i n u t e s , C h i e f A n d r e w L e m - b e r e s s a i d . M o o n e y a n d F u l l e r w e r e t a k e n t o M c C a l l M e m o r i a l H o s p i t a l w h e r e t h e y w e r e t r e a t e d a n d r e l e a s e d . T h e a i r p o r t w a s c l o s e d i m m e - W i l l i a m P i c k e r i n g D y l a n P i c k e r i n g d i a t e l y a f t e r t h e a c c i d e n t . I t w a s r e o p e n e d l a t e S a t u r d a y a f t e r n o o n a f t e r i n v e s t i g a t o r s a l l o w e d t h e w r e c k a g e o f t h e t w o p l a n e s t o b e m o v e d , a i r p o r t m a n a g e r J o h n A n d e r s o n s a i d . M o o n e y w a s f l y i n g t o t h e M c C a l l A i r p o r t f o r t h e f i r s t t i m e f r o m F e l t s F i e l d A i r p o r t i n S p o k a n e , W a s h . , t o p i c k u p h i s f a t h e r , C r a i g M o o n e y , w h o w a s a t c o n f e r e n c e , a c c o r d i n g t o C r a i g M o o n e y . J u s t i n M o o n e y w a s p l a n n i n g t o g i v e h i s f a t h e r f l y i n g l e s s o n s o n t h e w a y b a c k t o S p o k a n e , C r a i g M o o n e y s a i d . J u s t i n M o o n e y i s a f l i g h t i n s t r u c t o r a t F e l t s A v i a t i o n a n d w o r k s a s a p i l o t a n d s a l e s r e p r e - s e n t a t i v e f o r R o c k e t T e c h n o l o g y i n S p o k a n e . M c C a l l M e m o r i a l H o s p i t a l h a s a r r a n g e d f o r s o c i a l w o r k e r s t o b e o n c a l l f o r c o m m u n i t y m e m - b e r s w h o n e e d g r i e f c o u n s e l i n g , D i r e c t o r o f D e v e l o p m e n t L y l e N e l s o n s a i d . C o m m u n i t y m e m b e r s a r e e n - c o u r a g e d t o c o n t a c t J o e W i l s o n o r J e n n i f e r A n d r e w a t 6 3 4 - 4 0 6 1 , e x t . 1 0 5 . A m e m o r i a l f u n d f o r t h e c r a s h B i l l K e a t i n g v i c t i m s a n d t h e i r f a m i l i e s h a s b e e n s e t u p . D o n a t i o n s s h o u l d b e s e n t t o T h e K e a t i n g P i c k e r - i n g M e m o r i a l F u n d , I d a h o F i r s t B a n k , M a i n O f f i c e , P . O . B o x 2 9 5 0 , M c C a l l , I D 8 3 6 3 8 . ar- • ews - o o •y • is ae From left, Larry Swift, utility service worker for the city of McCall Public Works Department, McCall Fire & EMS Assistant Chief Garrett de Jong, Capt. Brandon Swain, Chief Andrew Lemberes and firefighters Jonas Bean and Rusty Barnett remove a wing from the wreckage Saturday of two planes that collided Friday evening at the McCall Airport. sil, �lqa g tar- yews • o o .y 'lc ae "e s From left, Larry Swift, utility service worker for the city of McCall Public Works Department, McCall Fire & EMS Assistant Chief Garrett de Jong, Capt. Brandon Swain, Chief Andrew Lemberes and firefighters Jonas Bean and Rusty Barnett remove a wing from the wreckage Saturday of two planes that collided Friday evening at the McCall Airport. i Keating remembered as good boss, better friend BY MICHAEL WELLS The Star -News McCall city employees described Bill Keating as a good boss and friend. Keating was killed with two of his grandchil- dren when two planes collided while landing at the same time at McCall Airport Friday night. McCall Water and Sewer Superintendent Levi Brinkley knew Keating for 16 years. Ten of those years, Keating was Brinkley's boss at the city. Keating, who had his pilot's license at least 10 years, helped Brinkley get over his reluctance to fly. "He was the first one to take me for an airplane ride," Brinkley said. "I never would fly." Brinkley would fly with Keating seven more times after his boss and friend made him com- fortable with the idea of flying. The two worked, fished and rode snowmobiles together. Brinkley also attended the graduations of Keating's three daughters and other family occasions. "As a boss you knew where you stood," he said. "He was good with equipment, safety conscious. He was a good friend. We had a work and friend relationship." Brinkley said that Keating kept the two rela- tionships separate. "He wouldn't allow work and friendship to intertwine," he said. When they were off work, Keating would not *talk about work with Brinkley. "We were good friends," he said. "The only thing we can do at this point in time is remember the fun, which helps." Keating went to work for the city in Decem- ber 1981. He retired in March 2006 as the public works director. Keating cited stress and frustration over the city's inability to hire and retain workers in his department due to the skyrocketing real estate prices McCall was experiencing at the time. Since retiring from McCall, Keating worked as a public works consultant and as a public works employee with the city of New Meadows. See KEATING, PageA-10 Keating (Continued from Page A-1) McCall Water and Sewer Plant Superintendent John Lewinski worked with Keating for more than 20 years at the city. "He was generally happy," Lewinski said. `After work he was happy whether it was after catching a huge salmon or hunting elk." Streets Superintendent Rick Schiermeier knew Keating for 3- 1/2 years. "He was a really good pilot and he was always on the radio," Schiermeier said. He described Keating as a good boss and friend. McCall Senior Utility Operator Lonnie King worked with Keating for 13 years. "He was a fair and decent boss," King said. "He was a good friend of mine. He was always a fair person." King said Keating would lend a helping hand if anyone needed it. "He is going to be missed," King said. "He never forgot you." appear farther down the runway. When it did not appear, he looked back to see black smoke rising from the runway. He did not know that two planes had collided while landing. He also did not know that his son had saved Tyler Pickering, 3, of Caldwell from the burning wreckage of the other plane. "For an hour and a half, I thought my son was dead," Mooney said. "Even though my son walked away from it, nobody told me that." Mooney said that his prayers are with the Keating and Picker- ing families. "Our whole prayers are with that family that this can somehow be healed," he said. Mooney, director of plant op- erations at the Northern Idaho Advanced Care Hospital in Post Falls, had been at a health care conference at Whitetail Club & Resort Friday. His son, a flight instructor with Felts Aviation in Spokane, Wash., had planned to give his father a flying lesson if they could find time while the weather conditions were good. "God saved my son for whatever reason, we don't understand that," Mooney said. "We have to thank God for that." A request by The Star -News to interview Justin Mooney was declined. • Crash scene hard to take for firefighters BY MICHAEL WELLS The Star -News Friday's fatal plane collision at the McCall Municipal Airport was "the most terrible thing" McCall Fire Protection District Chief Andrew Lemberes had seen in his 15 years with the department. Lemberes was driving into McCall from his home near Lake Fork when he heard a police radio call saying a plane was on fire at the airport. At the time, no one knew that two planes had collided while landing. The accident killed former McCall Public Works Director Bill Keating, 52, and two of his three grandsons that were flying with Keating to McCall from Caldwell. The pilot of the other Cessna 172 air- plane and a passenger survived the crash. McCall Fire Capt. Jeremy Olson andfirefighters Eric Dyrud and Tyler Paul were on duty at the fire department located across Deinhard Lane from the airport when the crash happened. They arrived on scene two minutes after the call at 7:51 p.m. with the department's airport rescue and firefighting truck and one engine. See SCENE, Page A-10 "t was terrible„ Just trying to move people when they are in that condition terrible: - McCall Fire Chief Andrew Lemberes Scene (Continued from Page A-1) As Lemberes was driving into McCall, he saw the plume of black smoke coming from the airport. As he approached the crash site, he saw one of the two survivors from Justin Mooney's plane carrying Tyler Pickering, 3, who had just been snatched from the burning wreckage. Lemberes took the child, who was suffering from third- degree burns, and handed him over to emergency medical technicians that had arrived in an ambulance. Pickering was taken by Life Flight helicopter to Boise and then transported to a burn unit at the University of Utah Hospital in Salt Lake City, where he remained on Wednesday. The fire was hot, fueled by aviation fuel and magnesium engine blocks. Firefighters used foam and water to ex- tinguish the flames within 12 minutes. The firefighters could tell immediately there was at least body in the wreckage andlater discovered two other bodies. The wreckage was "a twisted mess," he said. Lemberes kept his new fire- fighters away from the scene to spare them the trauma. "We do our job no matter what, but we watch out for our people," he said. Later Friday night, Lem- beres, Capt. Justin Clay and McCall Police Sgt. Larry Stokes removed the bodies from the plane. "It was terrible," Lemberes said. "Terrible, terrible. Just trying to move people when they are in that condition is terrible." On Saturday morning, Elk Creek Baptist Church Pastor Troy Bates, who is also a vol- unteer firefighter, counseled all that were involved in the accident. "We take that real serious," Lemberes said. Lemberes said he was shocked later Friday night when he learned that it was Keating who had been killed in the crash. Lemberes knew Keating from his days as Mc- Call's public works director. Father of pilot believed his son was dead BY MICHAEL WELLS The Star -News For an hour and a half Friday night, Craig Mooney was convinced his son was dead. Mooney is the father of Justin Mooney, the Post Falls man who was the pilot of one of two planes that collided, crashed and burned at the McCall Airport that night. Bill Keating of McCall and two of his grandsons died in the crash, but Mooney and a passenger, Mark Fuller, 27, of Hayden, escaped with minor injuries. "I felt like I lost my son and then I got him back," Craig Mooney said about learning his son survived. "I couldn't jump for joy when they told me because I knew there were al- ready fatalities." Craig Mooney, also of Post Falls, watched at the airport while his son's plane ap- proached the airport. The plane made a turn and prepared to land from the south, Craig Mooney said he saw a second plane about 1,000 feet above his son's plane turn on its landing lights. See FATHER, Page A-10 Father (Continued from Page A-1) The second plane was descend- ing more rapidly than Mooney's plane, he said. Snow berms and trees made Mooney lose sight of his son's plane as it was about 100 feet above the runway. He waited for his son's plane to In the midst of turmoil, Bill Keating kept his sense of humanity BY BEN SALMON Whether you're an old-timer around McCall or you're new to town, you probably know this: Covering the city's government is never a dull task. I know. I did it for a little over five years, from 2001 to 2006. Over that time, I got to know the ins and outs of McCall's business. The troubled infrastructure. The tumultuous tenures of top cops. The tireless tussles over tall buildings. But two years later, I don't remember most of the details on any of those topics. What I remember most are the people who worked for the city, and who were often the target of criticism from the people they served. I remember the police officer who let me ride along on a busy Fourth of July night. I remember the finance director who (every year) would patiently explain to me the finer points of the budget. I remember the mayor who would stop his daily walk through town to greet my wife and me (and tell me off-the-record what was really going on). And I remember riding around town in the passenger seat of Bill Keating's truck. Of all the smiling faces I dealt with during my time in McCall, Bill may have had the easiest smile of all. By the time I met him, he was a 19-year veteran of the city's very visible public works de- partment, including seven or so years as its director. In a town the size of McCall, that means that when something went wrong needed someone to explain something to me, like how the water -treatment plant made the drinking water cleaner (I'm still not sure it actually does). When I wanted photos of the new bridge being placed across the North Fork of the Payette River, Bill drove me down there himself and made me put on a hard hat. When I had to understand why a pump station was overworked, he opened a hatch and showed me. When I needed someone to stand in front of the J-Ditch pond while I took a photo, Bill and John Lewinski stood there uncomfortably, cracking jokes until I was done. Usually, when we'd head out to the plant or the bridge or the pump station, I'd meet Bill at the public works building and then we'd hop in his truck for the with the sewer system, the water system, or the roads, Bill almost always got a phone call, no matter what time it was. Whether you're an old-timer or you're new to town, you can imagine how many calls Bill got during the snowiest winters. I'm sure Bill's wife, Carol, was privy to his frustrations. But the Bill I knew was one of the warmest, friendliest, most kind-hearted people I met while I lived in McCall. Given the infrastructure -re- lated issues that plagued the city during that time, he had every right to ignore my phone calls and dread my visits to his office. But he never did. He always greeted me with a smile, a hand -shake, and a "How you doing?" And Bill always made time for this re- porter, which meant a lot, because I often trip. And I remember one time, on the way back to his office, we were yapping up a storm, and I noticed he was taking the long way. I was pretty happy, because you could learn as much or more about the city of McCall in the passenger seat of Bill's truck than you could at most council meetings. One of the last stories I wrote for The Star -News before I left McCall was about Bill's surprise decision to resign his position with the city. The stress of the job was wearing on him, he said, and he was "looking forward to having a few days off." Today, it's obvious he didn't get to have enough of those. But I hope he was able to enjoy every one of them. (Ben Salmon covers pop music for The Bulletin in Bend, Ore.) Record airport traffic to push safety by pilots An awful tragedy such as Friday's plane crash at the McCall Airport that killed a McCall man and two of his grandchildren usually leads to questions of how such a tragedy could have been prevented and how future accidents can be avoided. Where pilot error is concerned, no number of regulations and requirements will prevent an accident, but at least there can be a record to understand what happened. That is why the McCall airport should record all radio traffic of airplanes entering and leaving the region. For all of its strict rules for pilots and arcane standards for airports, the Federal Aviation Administration is surprisingly lax when it comes to the important subject of the control of airspace around rural airports like McCall, which can get downright congested during the summer and on weekends. The FAA requires airplanes with radios to announce their locations when nearing an airport over the Common Traffic Advisory Frequency, an open channel that all pilots are supposed to monitor. But if a pilot does not comply with the rule and does not give his or her location, who is to know? There is a monitor at McCall Aviation, but no one is there to listen when the office is closed. Others in the region with scanners can listen in as well, but such monitoring is spotty at best. Only by recording all traffic can investigators know for sure who, if anyone, was at fault. If the frequency had been recorded Friday night, then it would have been clear when and where announcements were made, if any, from the two planes that collided. This would give some comfort to the families of the victims who will never know the truth about their loved ones deaths. Recording radio traffic also would allow for quick evaluation of close calls, confusion and other breakdowns in the air traffic pattern that can happen from time to time. Perhaps most importantly, recording private pilot broadcasts would serve as an incentive for all pilots to ruilOw the rules and resist the temptation not to comply when a situation "seems safe." All it would take is a few citations from an FAA enforcer to send a message that safety is a priority. It would seem to go without saying that pilots have everything to gain by following the safety rules to the letter and beyond. After all, one lapse can have monumental consequences. Recording the Common Traffic Advisory Frequency would add one more tool to the never-ending effort to keep a disaster such as Friday's crash from happening again. Copyright © 2008 The Star -News Surviving pilot sent three radio transmissions before fatal crash BY MICHAEL WELLS The Star -News The pilot of an airplane involved in the May 2 fatal crash at the McCall Airport said he broadcast his position three times prior to the accident, a federal report said. A preliminary report released Fri- day by the National Transportation Safety Board included a statement by pilot Justin Mooney that said he made three radio calls over a common radio channel during his descent. Mooney's plane and a plane piloted by Bill Keating of McCall collided while both were attempting to land. The collision of the two Cessna 172 airplanes killed Keating, 52, former city of McCall public works director, and two of his grandsons, William Pickering, 6, and Dylan Pickering, 1, both of Caldwell. Keating's other grandson, Tyler Pickering, 3, was rescued from the burning wreckage by Mooney, 30, of Post Falls. Mooney and a passenger, Mark Fuller, 27, of Hayden, suffered minor injuries. Mooney was flying his airplane from Felts Field Airport in Spokane, Wash., to pick up his father, Craig Mooney, from the McCall Airport. According to the NTSB report, Mooney said "he made a radio call as he entered the traffic pattern." Mooney made a turn then transmit- ted his position on the radio. As he turned for the final leg, he indicated on the radio that he intended to "land long," the report said. Keating was flying his plane to McCall from the Caldwell Industrial Airport with his three grandsons. The NTSB report did not say wheth- er Mooney heard any radio calls from Keating before the accident. Mooney has declined to be interviewed by The Star -News. The preliminary report filed by NTSB investigator Dennis Hogenson did not indicate if Keating used his radio to broadcast his position while approaching the airport. See PILOT, Page A-10 SG,L ///c) Pilot (Continued from Page A-1) Hogenson is talking with local pilots and other witnesses this week to see if anyone heard calls from either plane. Hogenson is also waiting for toxicology reports on the pilots. Those results may take a few weeks, he said. He is also looking at the log- books of Mooney and Keating. After the crash, investigators with the NTSB and the Federal Aviation Administration inves- tigated the crash site. They then looked over physical evidence from the planes before transporting the wreckage to a secure storage area at the Boise Airport. A final report on the accident will not be out for six months, Hogenson said. Photo courtesy Lisa Keating A recent photo shows Bill Keating with his three grandchildren. From left are William Pickering, Tyler Pickering and Dylan Pickering. Keating, William and Dylan were killed May 2 in an airplane crash at McCall Airport while Tyler, now 3, is recovering from burns in a Salt Lake City hospital. Daughter describes Keating as a devoted pilot, loving grandfather BY MICHAEL WELLS The Star -News Bill Keating was as an honest and sin- cere man with a contagious laugh and an absolute passion for flying, according to his daughter. Through this tragedy, I keep reminding myself how extremely lucky I am to have had such an amazing father and to have been so close to my nephews," said Lisa Keating. "Dad was a passionate man, aiming to do everything he did perfectly." Bill Keating, 52, of McCall, died in a plane crash May 2 along with two of his grandsons from Caldwell, William Pickering, 6, and Dylan Pickering, 1. The accident happened at the McCall Mu- nicipal Airport when two Cessna 172 single engine planes collided while landing. The two occupants of the other plane es- caped and rescued Keating's other grandson, Tyler Pickering, 3, from the wreckage. Tyler Pickering remained this week in the burn unit at the University of Utah Hospital in Salt Lake City. His condition is not being disclosed. Keating and his wife of 30years, CarolKeat- Mg, raised three daughters in McCall, Jennifer Pickering, 29, of Caldwell, Lisa, 24, of Boise and Julie, 23, of McCall. Carol was waiting at the airport when the crash occurred. Funeral services for the three victims had not been announced as of Wednesday. A Love of Flying Bill and Carol celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary with a trip to Europe recently, Lisa Keating said. "Mom and Dad had a great relationship," she said. "They were very in love with each other." See KEATING, Page A-10 Keating (Continued from Page A-1) Flying with his grandchildren was a common activity for the former McCall Public Works Director, Lisa Keating said. Her father had been a pilot for at least 10 years. He had an absolute passion for flying and all of us loved to go with him," she said. "Dad was crazy about his grandchil- dren. He had them almost every weekend." He flew as often as he could. A couple of weeks prior to the crash, he flew Carol to the Oregon coast to visit his parents who were there visiting. He also would fly to Joseph, Ore., for breakfast on weekends, Lisa Keating said. "All of us flew with Dad," she 64,t, 540e) s-ls �64. said. "We loved flying with him. Several pilots have described Dad's piloting skills as `meticulous.' " Last summer, William and Tyler Pickering lived with their grand- father. They went to South Dakota to visit all of Keating's family for a couple of weeks, she said. "His life revolved around the boys," Lisa Keating said. He took his grandsons flying almost every weekend. Dad worked hard to make us a close family and it is going to be very tough to get through all of this," she said. "Mom and Dad raised us to be tough though, so I don't doubt we will make it." Bill Keating overcame prostate cancer in 2002, and since that ex- perience, he "laughed and smiled every single day," his daughter said. "Ever since dad beat cancer, he didn't take any time for granted," she said. "He definitely lived life to the fullest." He didn't seem to ever have any bad days, which I very much admire him for and I know other people do as well," Lisa Keating said. "He was a cheery man with a contagious laugh." A memorial fund has been set up at Idaho First Bank, under the Keating Pickering Fund, PO. Box 2950, McCall, ID 83638. McCall area has seen 8 fatal plane crashes since 1968 Eight plane crashes with fatalities have occurred at or near McCall Airport since 1968, according to the National Transportation Safety Board. Here is a summary of those fatal incidents compiled from NTSB reports and archives of The Star -News: • Aug. 12, 1968: George W. Smyser, 47, of Boise, died when the Beech A23-19 in which he was a passenger plunged into Payette Lake, 200 yards from the marina. Pilot Jack Kitchen, 37, of Boise, survived with minor injuries. Cause was determined to be engine trouble, which developed as Kitchen turned to make a second landing attempt at McCall Airport after overshooting the runway on his first attempt. • July 24, 1976:Donald Robert Workman, 56, of Rupert; William H. Kanoff, 72, of Ketchum; June Lyna Gilbert, 49, of Boise; and Sandi Anderson, 15, of Boise, died when Workman's Beech H35 crashed into Crooked River Point, 29 miles west of McCall. Cause was determined to be loss ofcontrol in poor weather conditions. • Sept. 3,1978: Art Cornell, 54, of McCall, and George Thompson, 75, of Dallas, Texas, died when Cornell's Piper J-3 Cub plunged into Pilgrim's Cove in the east arm of Payette Lake. Cause was determined to be loss of control, possibly after Cornell suffered a heart attack. Diver Martin Samu- elson, 28, also died in the salvage operation. • March 7, 1983: Eugene Parks, 56, of Yellow Pine, and Joe Parks,18, of Yellow Pine, died when their Cessna 182Q crashed into the mountains between Council and McCall. Cause was determined to be loss of control in poor weather conditions. • Sept. 3, 1984: Virgil Wayne Grove; 55, of Castro Val- ley, Calif.; Eloise Grove, 50, of Castro Valley, Calif.; Jim Lee, 53, of San Ramon, Calif.; and Charlotte Lee, 45, of Castro Valley, Calif., died when their Cessna 210K crashed 30 miles east of Warm Lake after the pilot misjudged the steepness of a canyon wall. Cause was determined to be pilot error. See HISTORY, PageA-10 Photo shows burned wreckage of a single -engine airplane that crashed at McCall Airport on Sept. 29, 2001, killing the pilot. The crash was the most recent fatal accident at or near the airport prior to the May 2 crash that killed three people. Star -News File Photo Six), hP0-4 si,L1bg History (Continued from Page A-1) • July 16, 1991: Ronald Delp, 60, of McCall, died from severe injuries after his Cessna TU206G crashed 200 yards from McCall Donnelly High School when th4 engine lost power. Cause was de termined to be pilot error. • Sept. 29, 2001: Lance R Macvittie, 57, of Tucson, Ariz. died when his Piper PA-30 crashea into a cattle field just south of the McCall Airport after losing powe in the left engine. Cause was deter mined to be poor maintenance an pilot error.