Former Mooney Worker Killed In Texas Mishap
It was sad enough to note the crash of a Mooney M-20J (file
photo of type, below) in Olney (TX) last week. But it's even sadder
for aviation as a whole when you realize who was on board.
The copilot on that flight was Joel Smith, a flyer for more than
four decades. Smith was also an integral part of the Mooney
Corporation for 26 years. He had just joined Don Maxwell Aviation
in Gladewater (TX) a month earlier.
Also killed in last week's accident were Max Rae, 65, of
Longview (TX), and David Hancock, 38, of Gladewater (TX).
"He was very knowledgeable about the airplane," said Mooney
co-worker Karen Grobe, who began working alongside Smith in
Mooney's quality assurance department in 1977. He was a test pilot
and in charge of the flight line, she said. Grobe was interviewed
by the Kerrville Daily Times.
Smith had hands-on experience with almost every aircraft Mooney
produced during his tenure with the company, Grobe said. "He knew
just about everything there was to know about Mooneys. He was the
pilot who gave my daughter her first ride in a Mooney. He was a
very good pilot. We're going to miss him."
"People are obviously shaken over his death," said Kerrville
Aviation owner Joe Kennedy. "We lost some one everyone dearly
loved. But we all have an understanding of the nature of the
business."
Kerr County Judge Pat Tinley, who officiated at Smith's funeral
on Sunday, agreed. "Aviation was literally his life," he told the
Daily News. "He was a real fine gentleman. It's a loss to this
community."
Joel Smith has gone west, into a sunset where every plane is a
Mooney and every one of them checks out. Happy landings, Joel.
FAA Preliminary Accident Report
IDENTIFICATION
Regis#: 1050W
Make/Model: MO20 Description:
MO-20
Date: 08/04/2004 Time: 1257
Event Type: Accident Highest Injury:
None Mid Air: N Missing:
N
Damage: Destroyed
LOCATION
City:
OLNEY
State: TX Country: US
DESCRIPTION
ACFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES AND WAS DESTROYED,
THE THREE
PERSONS ON BOARD WERE FATALLY INJURED, OLNEY, TX
INJURY DATA Total
Fatal: 0
# Crew: 1 Fat:
0 Ser:
0 Min:
0 Unk:
# Pass: 2
Fat: 0 Ser:
0 Min:
0 Unk:
# Grnd:
Fat: 0 Ser:
0 Min:
0 Unk:
WEATHER: KSPS 0414522Z 23013G21KT 10SM SCT100 SCT250 31/20
A2989
OTHER DATA
Activity: Pleasure Phase:
Unknown Operation: General
Aviation
Departed: DALLAS LOVE FIELD,
T Dep
Date: Dep.
Time:
Destination: OLNEY,
TX
Flt Plan: VFR
Wx Briefing: U
Last Radio Cont: 1340Z
Last Clearance: UNK
FAA FSDO: FORT WORTH, TX
(SW19)
Entry date: 08/05/2004