Body of High School Graduate Removed From Plane Crash Before Authorities Arrived, AZ

[FN FAL]

NTSB investigating...

Several agencies continue to investigate a plane crash in Arizona from over the weekend.

21-year-old Jake Lundell was practicing landings Saturday at Casa Grande's airport. That's when his engine stalled in mid-flight. He crashed just west of the airport and died.

Jake's father, a doctor, and his brother were watching. Before authorities arrived, they took his body out the wreckage and back to their home in Paradise Valley.

Local police say they did not violate any laws, but the National Transportation Safety Board says it is against federal law to remove anything from the scene of a plane crash.

Lundell had a pilot's license, but according to the FAA, it expired two years ago.

News of his death made it's way around Saguaro High School, where Jake graduated two years ago. "Jake was a wonderful student," said Susan Manning, a teacher at Saguaro High School. "He was respectful, he was talented, he was kind. He was someone you could talk to one to one as an individual. It is shocking news."

The National Transportation Safety Board says it will have a preliminary report done in five days.

 

[Pugh]

That's just...wierd

 

[FN FAL]

That's just...wierd

I can understand the dad not knowing about NTSB 830, IF he wasn't a pilot. But you'd think a doctor would be smart enough to not disturb an accident site.

I do understand his concern and loss, but I don't really know what motived him to remove the body.

 

[BRIGADEAVIATOR]

hmm... engine stalling? and licenses expiring? I highly doubt the ntsb would make an action against the dudes father. I could see moving the body out of the wreckage but back to the house?

 

[Metro752]

FAA NTSB CIA NSA TSA DHS can all crap eat if the dad wants to take the body, let him. WHATCHA GONNA DO, fine him? Hes a doctor, ahahahahaah

 

[Fly_Chick]

My heart goes out to the family.A lot of questions also pop up. Even if one does not know about NTSB 830, in any accident most people know not to move a body unless it is for life-saving circumstances. The field is non-towered, where did he get the plane? Was there a flight school or instructor nearby? Wonder how the dad, obviously in a distraught state, managed to get to the plane and take the body. Very sad. One thing I always tell my students when they solo, or have not flown for a while, it to keep the nose low. If their pitch attitude is too high for takeoff or landing, I always tell them to lower the nose, actually, I expect it to be habitual. Perhaps at times I am just too over-protective, yet I would rather have them have too much airspeed than approach a stall during t/o or landing.

 

[gfvalvo]

...yet I would rather have them have too much airspeed than approach a stall during t/o or landing.

I understand your thinking, but it's a delicate balance. Remember, when you want to stop (or are stopped by impact) the energy that must be dissipated is proportional to the SQUARE of your speed. 15% more speed means 32% more energy.

 

[gfvalvo]

hmm... engine stalling? and licenses expiring?

Reporters are morons.

 

[learflyer]

I understand your thinking, but it's a delicate balance. Remember, when you want to stop (or are stopped by impact) the energy that must be dissipated is proportional to the SQUARE of your speed. 15% more speed means 32% more energy.

very helpful...........thanks:smash: I'll think of this next time the gpws is going off!

 

[ms6073]

Reporters are morons.

Ditto - search of Airman database indicates that Jacob Lundell was a student pilot and had been issued a third class medical certificate on March 5, 2001. So technically, the media comments concerning Jake's pilot's license being expired, were not inaccurate.

 

[No Delay]

I am a father myself...I can't imagine watching an event like that. I could completely understand removing the body and taking him home.

I would think the FATHER (I am sure he was not wearing his doctor's hat) was thinking I just want to get him home!

Always sad to hear.

 

[FN FAL]

Like that line from the movie "national treasure"....

"Someone has to go to jail"

I can see where the feds might not push the NTSB 830 violation, but state prosecutors are going to have to decide if they want to set a precident by allowing one citizen to tamper with a homicide investigation, while prosecuting others who do the same thing.

And before you say that the accident isn't a "homicide", I already checked out Arizona's statutes. They say that you have to die of natural causes before it is not classified as a homicide. In Arizona, if you die as a result of "criminal negligence", your death is defined as a "homicide".

PHOENIX A Paradise Valley surgeon could face federal and state charges after removing the body of his dead son from a plane crash.

Twenty-one-year-old Jacob Lundell was killed late Saturday afternoon while doing touch-and-go maneuvers at the Casa Grande Municipal Airport.

Police say a witness saw a red pickup truck pull up to the crash site and that two men removed the body.

The F-A-A says they're investigating possible federal violations, including the removal of the body from the crash site.

There are several Arizona statutes that address removal of a body.

One requires that a human body can't be removed from the scene of a suspicious death unless a county medical examiner gives permission.

F-A-A officials say the victim had neither a pilot's license nor a valid student pilot's certificate.

Also, the crashed plane wasn't registered.

 

[xdrvr]

The local news channels here said the Dad drove the victim's body around so that other family members could give their last goodbyes... just goes to show you, just because someone's a Doc, doesn't mean they're smart...Have you ever known someone who extremely "textbook" smart but doesn't have any common sense whatsoever? This sounds like a prime example.

 

[Snakum]

the Dad drove the victim's body around so that other family members could give their last goodbyes

Okay now, that is just sooooo wrong.

Minh

 

[boeingaaa]

Ok, did this kid die on impact?
If not, I hope the doctor is familiar with two terms: 1)EMS, and 2)Hospital! If he did die on impact, how about holding an open coffin viewing? I'm sure, he being a doctor, must have worked in the ER, and experienced death before, did he ever seen a loved one take their dead family member, and parade around the neighborhood in a wheelchair?

To have an outdated medical, and an unregistered plane is just completely stupid. I think something else is going on, just not sure what. But I do agree with the previous comment, unless he was trying to cover up something (drinking?...), that dad has no street smarts (except he was smart for not flying with his son!)

 

[FN FAL]

This story keeps getting weirder...the victims parents flew experimental aircraft and were involved heavily with EAA and Scouting. It's sad that their son passed away in this tragedy, but I don't think the Dr. is going to escape without a lot of quirming. Good luck to them.

Washington Anacostia. LCOL Kevin Gross, Flight Test Director and Test Pilot for the MV-22 Osprey Integrated Test Team at Patuxent River was the guest speaker at the Washington Anacostia Squadron quarterly luncheon at the Army Navy Country Club in early December. LCOL Gross has 2,300 flight hours in 29 different aircraft in his log book. Importantly, he has 150 hours in the MV-22.

He gave an informative presentation on Osprey capabilities and brought members up to date on the latest MV-22 test flights. In the photo, Washington Anacostia CO, CAPT Bob Dawson, USNR (Ret.) thanks LCOL Gross for his revealing talk Roadrunners.

A September meeting the Roadrunner Squadron of Phoenix, Arizona featured Mrs. Deborah Lundell of the "Arizona Warbirds - Squadron 20," as its speaker. She represented the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) and explained that Squadron 20 is primarily involved with training 16-18 year old Boy Scouts.

Her Squadron hosted the 3rd annual Fly-In at Casa Grande Airport south of Phoenix in October. Mrs.Lundell invited Roadrunners to join with a group of about 200 Boy Scouts in an introduction to the world of aviation. There were N2Ss, SNJs, SNBs and an NRl (WWII pilot: sound familiar?) on hand. Six Roadrunners showed up at the event and had a great day reliving the past and comporting with the Scouts.

In October Bernard "Pete" Peterson of the squadron reported on two reunion meetings he and his wife Marion, also a Roadrunner, attended in 2002. In May they traveled to MCAS Cherry Point, North Carolina where Pete was the guest speaker. He forged a link between VMF223 of yesteryear and VMA-223 of today. (See p. 68 Summer 2002 Wings of Gold).

The Petersons exchanged gifts with the squadron and Pete presented VMA-223 a Japanese battle flag from Okinawa combat in WWII.

Last spring Dr. Mark Lundell and his wife Deborah, owners of several WWII aircraft, invited Roadrunner members to fly in the plane of their choice around the "Valley of the Sun." The planes are hangared at Deer Valley Airport.

Roadrunners Pete and Marion Peterson, Harry Lewis and Bob Marrs enjoyed flying these historic planes. Deborah Lundell later spoke at a squadron meeting along with"Wasp" friend of WWII fame, Betty Blake. Betty described her experiences flying warbirds.

The Lundell's invited Pete Peterson to speak at a Boy Scout Roundtable gathering in October. Of course, the subject was aviation. In November, the squadron participated in a "Fly In." This occasion received local TV coverage and was enjoyed by veterans bused in from the local veterans hospital.

Below, are Lundell's A7-11 bomber trainer; and Pete Peterson in rear seat of Chuck Bivenour's SNJ during the November Fly In.

Retired CAPT Jim Gordon related his experiences in the defense industry and the Naval Reserve Intelligence Program at the November meeting. Although a nonaviator, he motivated his son to a career in Naval Aviation. LCDR Jim Gordon III is a pilot in HSL-41 flying Seahawks. The senior Gordon, a staff engineer with Honeywell Marine Systems, was involved in the Nuclear Depth Charge and Acoustic Homing Torpedo and Captor Mine System.

In his last Navy command tour he led a unit in counter-terrorism intelligence analysis, training personnel deploying in the Gulf War. Left to right in the photo are Foster Lewis, CAPT Gordon and Dick Ferron, Roadrunner CO.

 

[sqwkvfr]

No pilot's license, unregistered aircraft, tampering with the scene of an aircraft crash AND removal of a body by a person who knows danm well the laws regarding transportation or removal of remains.

Oh, AND he told a person who arrived at the scene to NOT call the police when that person offered to do so.

He's in a little trouble.

 

[Big Duke Six]

It's either a desperate attempt to cover something up or he was just plain freaking out over the death of his own son. Very sad either way.

 

[ms6073]

There was an update to this story posted on Avweb (http://www.avweb.com/newswire/11_44a/briefs/190888-1.html) indicating that the doctor now faces local charges and may soon face federal charges.

 

[wrxpilot]

Strange that a family so well off would not have had the son pursue his PPL to completion AND that they would have an unregistered a/c! If it's true that he was actually driving his dead son around to say his goodbyes to family members, that is just disgusting emotionally and physically. There was also evidence of brain matter in the cockpit. Weirdos.