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!)