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

[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.

 

[FN FAL]

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.

But you gotta admit, that bit was hilarious in "Weekend at Bernie's".

 

[Snakum]

I don't think the Dr. is going to escape without a lot of quirming

Wow. Hope they lube him first.

Minh

 

[majortool]

Okay now, that is just sooooo wrong.

Minh

I agree. Pretty damn strange in my opinion. Looks like his dad was trying to cover something up.

 

[ERAUBrat3]

Jake was a friend of mine from school and the EAA chapter his family is a charter member of.

He died on impact...I'm not sure if I believe the report or not, but according to his family in TV interviews, he was avoiding another aircraft.

He crashed at Casa Grande Airport which doesn't have immediate ARFF response capabilities, thats why someone asked if they should call 911. Jake's dad and brother witnessed the crash, drove out and took him home to his mom and other brothers/sisters. It wasn't the dad that drove either, it was his brother while his dad held his son's body in the back of the truck.

"where did he get the plane?"
The plane was owned by the family but as the media reported, apparently expired.


There was a lot of ignorance involved in this, yes. A lot of weird circumstances also surround the family's history...nothing that would've directly contributed to the accident though. The story doesn't end with the dad and brother removing the body and taking it home. It gets far worse after authorities took control but I'll honor the family and not say more.

Rest in peace Jake.

 

[Puck Mugger]

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.

You must be a hoot at a BBQ or cocktail party.

 

[ms6073]

Jake was a friend of mine from school and the EAA chapter his family is a charter member of.

:erm: My condolences for the loss of your friend. I guess it is easy for us to lose sight of how small our community really is when we get caught up in the moment and begin to make light of a situtation should it fall outside our narrowly defined boundaries of normality. Unfortunately as we attempt to better understand the situation, we obviously have ignored the fact that regardless of the circumstances, a tragedy has occurred which will leave a deep and lasting impression on the lives of the people that are effected.

 

[gfvalvo]

You must be a hoot at a BBQ or cocktail party.

You can ignore physics if you like. It really doesn’t care; it simply exists and will gladly kill you given the chance.

Stop by my next BBQ, baby back ribs and Sierra Nevada Pale Ale on tap.

 

[FN FAL]

guhhhhhh!

PHOENIX The mother of a 21-year-old student pilot who died in a plane crash says her husband did the right to remove their son's body from the crash site before authorities could investigate.
Jacob Lundell died on impact in the October 22nd crash at Casa Grande Municipal Airport. He crashed the family's 1961 Nord tailwheel trainerwhile doing solo touch-and-go maneuvers.

Deborah Lundell says Jacob lost control of the plane while heroically avoiding a second plane.

The incident received considerable attention because investigators found no body at the fatal crash scene.

Lundell's father, Paradise Valley surgeon Doctor Mark Lundell, witnessed the crash. He removed his son's dead body from the wreckage before investigators could arrive and then drove to his Paradise Valley home, where police were waiting.

Deborah Lundell says she would have fallen apart if she hadn't been able to hold Jacob one last time before he underwent an autopsy.