Three Pilots Lost In Tragic, High-Profile Accidents

For the third successive weekend there have been multiple, high-profile fatal accidents -- this time, claiming the lives of three pilots…

As previously reported, famed warbird pilot and craftsman, Bob Odegaard  -- one of the men responsible for the formation of the Fargo Air Museum and the Fargo AirSho -- was practicing for another weekend airshow when his Super Corsair went down Friday evening. Odegaard was 66 years old and came from Kindred, ND, where he had developed a world-wide rep as a master craftsman of war-era aircraft and an expert pilot

The Super Corsair was in the process of flying in preparation for the upcoming weekend airshow when the accident occurred at the Barnes County Municipal Airport about 1800, local time, Friday. Odegaard was reportedly practicing a barrel roll when the plane impacted the ground. Shrapnel damaged at least two other aircraft on the ground and the scheduled air show was canceled.

Odegaard's 1945 Super Corsair was reportedly one of only two such examples of the breed still flying and photographs show the aircraft, post-impact, pretty thoroughly destroyed.

Officials hope that the airshow can be rescheduled at a future date, when pilots "feel like flying again' and in memory of Odegaard.

Then On Saturday…

In Borrego Springs, California a member of the USA Advanced Aerobatic Team was killed Saturday when he reportedly jumped from his plane as it was suffering mechanical issues only to have experinced some manner of parachute malfunction or incomplete deployment.

KNSD-TV identified the pilot as Reinaldo Beyer (pictured), a cardiologist at Sharp Rees-Stealy Medical Center. The station cited an email from the hospital's medical director, who said Beyer died after the plane he was flying had a mechanical problem.

The Associated Press reports that Beyer was practicing aerobatic maneuvers  in the single engine MXS aerobatic plane when the accident occurred about 12:30 p.m. north of Borrego Valley Airport, which is about 90 miles northeast of San Diego. No one else was aboard the aircraft.

And in Idaho…

Just five hours later, a small plane that Northwest Cable News.com reports was “performing” at a Republican Party Fundraiser crashed, fatally injuring the pilot. The plane was one of two  doing flyovers of the event. The crash happened just after 5:30 p.m. a few miles north of Moscow, near the town of Viola.  The Latah County Republicans were holding their annual fundraiser and picnic at the time.

According to the county sheriffs office, witnesses reportedly heard the airplane’s engine 'revving loudly' just before the crash. The impact was followed by an extensive ground fire. The pilot was the only occupant on board and his name had not yet been released at our deadline.

All three accidents are under investigation.

FMI: www.ntsb.gov, http://odegaardaviation.homestead.com/index.html, http://www.barnescountyairport.com/, http://fargoairsho.com/, http://advancedaerobaticteam.com/team-usa/reinaldo-beyer