Francis B. Alexander crashed a rented single-engine plane into the Virgen de San Juan del Valle Shrine in San Juan in the Rio Grande Valley.
Twenty minutes before the crash, Alexander reportedly radioed a warning that all Methodist and Catholic churches in the area should be evacuated.
More than 130 people were in the shrine at the time of the crash, but Alexander was the only person killed.
Two priests saved the three-foot-tall statue of Our Lady of San Juan, but the shrine’s damages were estimated at $1.5 million.
Funds were raised, and in April 1980, a new shrine was dedicated.
- Source: http://www.kwtx.com
NTSB Identification: FTW71AF019
14 CFR Part 91 General Aviation
Aircraft: PIPER PA-28, registration: N5223L
3-1648 70/10/23 SAN JUAN,TEX PIPER PA-28 CR- 1 0 0 NONCOMMERCIAL COMMERCIAL, FL.INSTR.,
TIME - 1050 N5223L PX- 0 0 0 PLEASURE/PERSONAL TRANSP AGE 52, 3500 TOTAL HOURS,
DAMAGE-DESTROYED OT- 0 0 0 UNK/NR IN TYPE, NOT
INSTRUMENT RATED.
DEPARTURE POINT INTENDED DESTINATION
MCALLEN,TEX SAN JUAN,TEX
TYPE OF ACCIDENT PHASE OF OPERATION
COLLIDED WITH: BUILDING(S) IN FLIGHT: OTHER
PROBABLE CAUSE(S)
PILOT IN COMMAND - PSYCHOLOGICAL CONDITION
MISCELLANEOUS - SUICIDE
FIRE AFTER IMPACT
REMARKS- DELIBERATELY DOVE INTO PRE-ANNOUNCED CHURCH AFTER REQUESTING CHURCHES IN AREA BE EVACUATED.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment