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.

FMI: www.faa.gov