An earlier version of the story incorrectly reported that Cindy Huntsman's father flew with John F. Cox in North Platte.
• By SCOTT KOPERSKI - Beatrice Daily Sun
For as long as his son can remember, John F. Cox was addicted to flying.
Aviation piqued Cox’s interest as a teenager growing up in Sutherland, and years later he taught his son, John C. Cox, about airplanes.
Around eight years ago, after his wife died, John F. Cox started building his own plane.
His son laughed as he told the story of how the elder Cox built the 30-foot wing of his Titan Tornado SS in his living room before the project outgrew the house, was removed and attached to the plane.
That plane never left the ground.
John F. Cox was killed Tuesday when he started the plane at the Beatrice Municipal Airport. The 86-year-old, who was working on his plane alone, started it, not realizing it was at full throttle.
The plane launched out of the hangar, across the airport and into another hangar that was nearby, dragging Cox along the way.
“He was getting close to test-flying it this summer for the first time," his son said. "He used to like to go out and start it up and drive it around on the airport ramp to check the engine over and see how the controls are working.
“He really enjoyed it.”
Maintenance workers nearby heard the crash and called 911 moments later.
The rescue crew took Cox to Beatrice Community Hospital, where he was pronounced dead less than two hours later.
Airport manager Diana Smith said Cox's death is the first fatality in her 42 years working at the airport.
She'll remember Cox as an involved man who volunteered his time to give free airplane rides to young people during the annual Homestead Days Young Eagle rides event.
John C. Cox said his dad also had a larger, four-seat airplane kept in Lincoln. They would regularly fly to York, just for a meal.
“Once a month, we would always fly over to an airport in York and go get breakfast,” he said. "It was just a way to keep active and up in the air. I always flew with him.”
Cindy Huntsman worked as a cashier for Cox when he headed the North Platte Municipal Light and Water Department in the late 1970s.
She said she remembered Cox as not only a fair, customer-oriented boss, but also as a gentleman who would always open and close the door for others, Huntsman said.
As John C. Cox copes with the loss of his father, his love of flight lives on.
The DeWitt resident is a flight instructor in Beatrice, Lincoln, Seward and Crete, in addition to teaching physics Lincoln Pius X.
He plans to keep working with planes, and said he can take solace in the fact that his dad died doing what he loved.
“To me, that is a much better way to end your life than wasting away in a nursing home,” he said. “Flying is in a world of its own. Once you get the aviation bug, you just have it your whole life.”
Riley Johnson of the Lincoln Journal Star contributed to this report.
Story and comments/reaction: http://journalstar.com
TITAN TORNADO SS, COX JOHN F, N383UC: http://registry.faa.gov/N383UC
Piper PA-28-181, N83180: http://registry.faa.gov/N83180
Emergency crews responded to a man trapped between a hangar and an airplane Tuesday shortly after 3 p.m. at Beatrice Municipal Airport. The man died of injuries sustained in the incident.
For as long as his son can remember, John F. Cox was addicted to flying.
His interest in aviation began as a teenager growing up in Sutherland, Neb., and continued through the years as he taught his son, John C. Cox, about airplanes.
When his wife passed away, John F. Cox started a new hobby, building his own plane.
His son laughed as he told the story of how John F. Cox built the 30-foot-wing of his Titan Tornado SS in his living room before the project outgrew the house, was removed and attached to the plane. That plane never left the ground.
“He started building this airplane as a hobby after my mom died probably 8-10 years ago,” John C. Cox recalled. “He was getting close to test flying it this summer for the first time. He used to like to go out and start it up and drive it around on the airport ramp to check the engine over and see how the controls are working. He really enjoyed it.”
John F. Cox was killed Tuesday when he started the plane at the Beatrice Municipal Airport.
The 86-year-old, who was working on his plane alone, started it, not realizing it was at full throttle.
The plane launched out of the hangar, across the airport and into another hangar that was nearby, dragging John F. Cox along the way.
The collision was heard by maintenance workers who were nearby and called 911 a short time later.
StarCare air support was initially dispatched to the airport to transport the man to Bryan Health East in Lincoln, but Fire and Rescue Chief Brian Daake said the air ambulance was later called off because the man was in need of CPR and the procedure cannot be done in the helicopter.
The rescue crew took the man to Beatrice Community Hospital, where he was pronounced dead less than two hours later.
John C. Cox said his dad also had a larger, four-seat airplane kept in Lincoln. They would regularly fly to York, just for a meal.
“Once a month, we would always fly over to an airport in York and go get breakfast,” he said. "It was just a way to keep active and up in the air. I always flew with him.”
Airport manager Diana Smith recalled John F. Cox as being an involved man who volunteered his time to give free airplane rides to youth during the annual Homestead Days Young Eagle rides event.
“He was an EAA (Experimental Aircraft Association) member and involved in the Young Eagle’s rides,” she said.
Smith added the death is the first fatality in her 42 years working at the airport.
As John C. Cox copes with the loss of his father, his love of flight lives on. The DeWitt resident is a flight instructor in Beatrice, Lincoln, Seward and Crete, in addition to teaching physics Lincoln Pius X. He plans to keep working with planes, and can take solace in the fact that his dad died doing what he loved.
“To me, that is a much better way to end your life than wasting away in a nursing home,” he said. “Flying is in a world of its own. Once you get the aviation bug, you just have it your whole life.”
http://beatricedailysun.com
A man who was struck by a small plane at the Beatrice Municipal Airport Tuesday afternoon died due to injuries from the incident.
Emergency crews arrived to the scene of a man who was hit by a plane that then collided with a nearby hangar shortly after 3 p.m.
Beatrice Police Investigator Erin Byrne said it appeared the man was working on the plane at the time of the incident.
“Based on witness statements, we believe that there was an elderly gentleman working on a plane he himself built,” Byrne said. “He was trying to get it started, did manage to get it started and it sounds like the plane was in full throttle and it appears the plane struck the elderly gentleman with enough force to push into hangar nearby, causing some body trauma.”
The plane, which had an “experimental” decal across one of the windows, crashed into a nearby hangar.
Byrne did not believe the man was an airport employee.
He said the man’s family had been notified of the incident Tuesday afternoon, but he declined to release a name due to a potential Federal Aviation Administration investigation.
According to the FAA registry, the plane’s N-Number belongs to a Titan Tornado SS manufactured and owned by John F. Cox, of Lincoln.
Beatrice Fire and Rescue Chief Brian Daake said when his units arrived at the scene the man was unresponsive and had “significant trauma,” and the injuries to the man's torso were "absolutely life threatening.”
StarCare air support was initially dispatched to the airport to transport the man to Bryan Health East in Lincoln, but was later called off.
Daake said StarCare was canceled because the man was in need of CPR and the procedure cannot be done in the helicopter.
Rescue workers took the man to Beatrice Community Hospital and Health Center, where he was pronounced dead fewer than two hours later.
Officials with the Beatrice Municipal Airport declined to comment on the incident.
His interest in aviation began as a teenager growing up in Sutherland, Neb., and continued through the years as he taught his son, John C. Cox, about airplanes.
When his wife passed away, John F. Cox started a new hobby, building his own plane.
His son laughed as he told the story of how John F. Cox built the 30-foot-wing of his Titan Tornado SS in his living room before the project outgrew the house, was removed and attached to the plane. That plane never left the ground.
“He started building this airplane as a hobby after my mom died probably 8-10 years ago,” John C. Cox recalled. “He was getting close to test flying it this summer for the first time. He used to like to go out and start it up and drive it around on the airport ramp to check the engine over and see how the controls are working. He really enjoyed it.”
John F. Cox was killed Tuesday when he started the plane at the Beatrice Municipal Airport.
The 86-year-old, who was working on his plane alone, started it, not realizing it was at full throttle.
The plane launched out of the hangar, across the airport and into another hangar that was nearby, dragging John F. Cox along the way.
The collision was heard by maintenance workers who were nearby and called 911 a short time later.
StarCare air support was initially dispatched to the airport to transport the man to Bryan Health East in Lincoln, but Fire and Rescue Chief Brian Daake said the air ambulance was later called off because the man was in need of CPR and the procedure cannot be done in the helicopter.
The rescue crew took the man to Beatrice Community Hospital, where he was pronounced dead less than two hours later.
John C. Cox said his dad also had a larger, four-seat airplane kept in Lincoln. They would regularly fly to York, just for a meal.
“Once a month, we would always fly over to an airport in York and go get breakfast,” he said. "It was just a way to keep active and up in the air. I always flew with him.”
Airport manager Diana Smith recalled John F. Cox as being an involved man who volunteered his time to give free airplane rides to youth during the annual Homestead Days Young Eagle rides event.
“He was an EAA (Experimental Aircraft Association) member and involved in the Young Eagle’s rides,” she said.
Smith added the death is the first fatality in her 42 years working at the airport.
As John C. Cox copes with the loss of his father, his love of flight lives on. The DeWitt resident is a flight instructor in Beatrice, Lincoln, Seward and Crete, in addition to teaching physics Lincoln Pius X. He plans to keep working with planes, and can take solace in the fact that his dad died doing what he loved.
“To me, that is a much better way to end your life than wasting away in a nursing home,” he said. “Flying is in a world of its own. Once you get the aviation bug, you just have it your whole life.”
http://beatricedailysun.com
A man who was struck by a small plane at the Beatrice Municipal Airport Tuesday afternoon died due to injuries from the incident.
Emergency crews arrived to the scene of a man who was hit by a plane that then collided with a nearby hangar shortly after 3 p.m.
Beatrice Police Investigator Erin Byrne said it appeared the man was working on the plane at the time of the incident.
“Based on witness statements, we believe that there was an elderly gentleman working on a plane he himself built,” Byrne said. “He was trying to get it started, did manage to get it started and it sounds like the plane was in full throttle and it appears the plane struck the elderly gentleman with enough force to push into hangar nearby, causing some body trauma.”
The plane, which had an “experimental” decal across one of the windows, crashed into a nearby hangar.
Byrne did not believe the man was an airport employee.
He said the man’s family had been notified of the incident Tuesday afternoon, but he declined to release a name due to a potential Federal Aviation Administration investigation.
According to the FAA registry, the plane’s N-Number belongs to a Titan Tornado SS manufactured and owned by John F. Cox, of Lincoln.
Beatrice Fire and Rescue Chief Brian Daake said when his units arrived at the scene the man was unresponsive and had “significant trauma,” and the injuries to the man's torso were "absolutely life threatening.”
StarCare air support was initially dispatched to the airport to transport the man to Bryan Health East in Lincoln, but was later called off.
Daake said StarCare was canceled because the man was in need of CPR and the procedure cannot be done in the helicopter.
Rescue workers took the man to Beatrice Community Hospital and Health Center, where he was pronounced dead fewer than two hours later.
Officials with the Beatrice Municipal Airport declined to comment on the incident.
Source: http://beatricedailysun.com
