Sun, Aug 27, 2006
Was Repositioning Plane Ahead Of Storm
The pilot of a motorized
sailplane who was attempting to reposition his aircraft tot another
airport died Friday, when the glider went down shortly after
takeoff from Colonel James Jabara Airport in Wichita, KS.
Witnesses say the airplane, a 1961 Scheibe SF-24A MotorSpatz
(file photo of type, right), lifted off from runway 18 Friday
afternoon but then dipped its left wing, and impacted the ground
approximately 100 feet southeast of the runway. Authorities believe
the plane's engine was still running when the plane went down.
Members of the local aviation community identified the pilot as
Steve Siedhoff, according to the Wichita Eagle. Wichita Festivals
president Janet Wright told the paper Siedhoff had planned to
display the airplane during Saturday's Wichita Flight Festival at
Jabara.
A forecast calling for severe weather Friday evening,
however, led Siedhoff to move his plane to the nearby Wichita
Glider Port -- less than two miles away -- so it would not be
left outdoors in the storm, said glider port owner John
McMaster.
"We don't know what happened," said McMaster of the accident.
"I'm an FAA medical examiner, and a lot of times this kind of
accident isn't what it first appears to be. We'll just have to wait
for the investigators to complete their work."
"It's a sad day for everybody who loves flying," McMaster
said.
The FAA and NTSB were at the scene Saturday to begin their
invesigations into the accident.
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