Wednesday, November 12, 2014

After man killed in plane crash, sheriff's department honors 4 who aided grieving family

KENT COUNTY, MI – Two volunteer victim advocates and two Kent County residents will be recognized Thursday for their work in aiding an out-of-state woman after her husband died in an ultralight plane crash in August.

Ron and Mavee Blain and victim advocates Jay Groendyke and Charles Roetman will receive letters of appreciation and public service awards at 6:30 p.m. on Nov. 13 at the Kent County Sheriff’s Department.

The four went far beyond the call of duty after the aircraft being tested at Lowell City Airport by Bryan Bowker, 67, of Edgewood, New Mexico, crashed, according to the department.

Following the crash, Groendyke and Roetman arrived at the scene to comfort and aid his wife, Delia Bowker, who had witnessed the accident.

Shortly after, Ron and Mavee Blain stopped by to simply offer any assistance they could.

After realizing Delia Bowker was from the Philippines and could only speak broken English, Mavee Blain, who is also from the Philippines, offered to translate for the advocates.

Over the next several days, Groendyke and Roetman spent over 30 hours comforting both Delia Bowker and the aircraft’s owner, informing family and friends of Bryan Bowker’s death and making funeral arrangements.

The Blain family hosted and comforted Delia Bowker and her friends at their home for three days and two nights.


- Source:  http://www.mlive.com

NTSB Identification: CEN14LA45414
CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Sunday, August 24, 2014 in Lowell, MI
Aircraft: RANS S17, registration: None
Injuries: 1 Fatal.

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed. NTSB investigators may not have traveled in support of this investigation and used data provided by various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.

On August 24, 2014, about 1130 eastern daylight time, an unregistered Rans S17 airplane, impacted trees and terrain during a takeoff at the Lowell City Airport (24C), near Lowell, Michigan. The private pilot, the sole occupant on board, was fatally injured. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The unregistered airplane was operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, and no flight plan had been filed. The local flight was originating from 24C at the time of the accident.

At 1053, the recorded weather at the Gerald R. Ford International Airport, near Grand Rapids, Michigan, was: Wind 080 degrees at 10 knots, visibility 5 statute miles, present weather mist: sky condition overcast clouds at 1,100 feet; temperature 22 degrees C; dew point 20 degrees C; altimeter 30.10 inches of mercury. 

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