Deland Pilot Will Fly Again After Settling With FAA | Aero-News Network
Aero-News Network
RSS icon RSS feed
podcast icon MP3 podcast
Subscribe Aero-News e-mail Newsletter Subscribe

Airborne Unlimited -- Most Recent Daily Episodes

Episode Date

Airborne-Monday

Airborne-Tuesday

Airborne-Wednesday Airborne-Thursday

Airborne-Friday

Airborne On YouTube

Airborne-Unlimited-04.22.24

Airborne-Unlimited-04.16.24

Airborne-FlightTraining-04.17.24 Airborne-AffordableFlyers-04.18.24

Airborne-Unlimited-04.19.24

Join Us At 0900ET, Friday, 4/10, for the LIVE Morning Brief.
Watch It LIVE at
www.airborne-live.net

Thu, Nov 17, 2005

Deland Pilot Will Fly Again After Settling With FAA

Still Faces Potential Criminal Charges In Skydiver's Death

Aero-News has learned William "Bill" Buchmann, the pilot involved in an airborne collision with skydiver Albert "Gus" Wing that resulted in the latter's death, has settled a dispute with the FAA over his revoked pilot license.

An unnamed official with knowledge of the case told the Daytona Beach News-Journal Buchmann's ticket was pulled for 270 days, as part of a settlement reached Monday. It is not known if that includes the three months Buchmann's license has already been suspended.

The FAA suspended Buchmann's flying privileges in August after reviewing the circumstances surrounding Wing's death. On April 23, the experienced skydiver was struck by Buchmann's DHC-6 Twin Otter (file photo of type, above) at approximately 600 ft AGL, severing the parachutist's lower legs.

The FAA alleged Buchmann -- himself an experienced pilot, with over 14,000 hours in the air -- caused Wing's death by flying the Twin Otter underneath the skydivers, and entering the traffic pattern over Deland Airport from the wrong direction. Buchmann appealed that decision, and was scheduled to have his case heard before the NTSB Wednesday -- until the settlement was reached.

"I think in a nutshell, [Buchmann] settled because he wanted to get this thing behind him," said Dr. John Wing, the late skydiver's brother. "I still don't agree that he is guilty of... any kind of criminal issues."

Although the settlement means Buchmann will soon be able to fly again, he still faces the specter of criminal charges, including manslaughter and reckless operation of an aircraft.

As was reported in Aero-News, the Florida State Attorney's office is said to be considering such charges, based on the recommendation of the Deland Police Department. Specifically, DPD officials have reportedly uncovered evidence Buchmann and Wing -- who had worked together for years -- would sometimes race each other to the ground. Family and relatives have disputed that claim.

Buchmann's attorney, Patrick Phillips, could not be reached for comment on the settlement.

FMI: www.ntsb.gov

Advertisement

More News

SpaceX to Launch Inversion RAY Reentry Vehicle in Fall

Inversion to Launch Reentry Vehicle Demonstrator Aboard SpaceX Falcon 9 This fall, the aerospace startup Inversion is set to launch its Ray reentry demonstrator capsule aboard Spac>[...]

Aero-News: Quote of the Day (04.23.24)

"We are excited to accelerate the adoption of electric aviation technology and further our journey towards a sustainable future. The agreement with magniX underscores our commitmen>[...]

Aero-News: Quote of the Day (04.20.24)

"The journey to this achievement started nearly a decade ago when a freshly commissioned Gentry, driven by a fascination with new technologies and a desire to contribute significan>[...]

ANN's Daily Aero-Linx (04.20.24)

Aero Linx: OX5 Aviation Pioneers Each year a national reunion of OX5 Aviation Pioneers is hosted by one of the Wings in the organization. The reunions attract much attention as man>[...]

Aero-News: Quote of the Day (04.21.24)

"Our driven and innovative team of military and civilian Airmen delivers combat power daily, ensuring our nation is ready today and tomorrow." Source: General Duke Richardson, AFMC>[...]

blog comments powered by Disqus



Advertisement

Advertisement

Podcasts

Advertisement

© 2007 - 2024 Web Development & Design by Pauli Systems, LC