Collision with Terrain (non-CFIT): Piper PA-28-140 Cherokee, N716RL; fatal accident occurred July 25, 2020 near Stinson Municipal Airport (KSSF), San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas

Robert “Cole” Perguson

Aviation Accident Final Report - National Transportation Safety Board

Investigator In Charge (IIC): Aguilera, Jason

The National Transportation Safety Board did not travel to the scene of this accident.

Additional Participating Entities: 

Jason Dunn; Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; San Antonio, Texas

Piper Aircraft Company; Vero Beach, Florida 

Lycoming Engines; Williamsport, Pennsylvania

Original Publish Date: October 5, 2022

Investigation Class: 3

Investigation Docket - National Transportation Safety Board:

https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket

https://registry.faa.gov/N716RL

Location: San Antonio, Texas

Accident Number: CEN20LA305

Date and Time: July 25, 2020, 09:10 Local

Registration: N716RL

Aircraft: Piper PA28 

Aircraft Damage: Destroyed

Defining Event: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT)

Injuries: 3 Fatal

Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Instructional

Analysis

The pilot, a flight instructor who operated a business at the airport, was taking the two passengers on a local discovery flight to see if they wanted to pursue flight lessons. After takeoff, the pilot was unable to climb the airplane above the tall trees at the end of the runway, obstacles he was likely aware of due to his familiarity with the airport. Airport surveillance video showed that the airplane lifted off after a 1,700-ft-long ground roll and was in a nose-high attitude but not climbing and headed toward the trees, after which the airplane was out of the camera’s view. The airplane impacted trees and terrain about 2,400 ft from the departure end of the runway and was destroyed by impact damage and a postimpact fire.

A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane. A weight and balance calculation for the accident flight showed that the airplane was operating about 73 lbs over its maximum gross weight of 2,150 lbs. The pilot elected to depart on a runway with a gusty tailwind component of 4 to 7 knots. The airplane’s observed takeoff ground roll of 1,700 ft was 50% longer than the 1,125 ft ground roll predicted by the airplane’s performance charts for a no-wind takeoff at gross weight, indicating that the over gross weight condition and the tail wind significantly degraded the airplane’s performance. It is likely that the pilot’s decision to take off with the airplane over maximum gross weight and a gusty tailwind prevented the airplane from climbing or maintaining altitude.

Probable Cause and Findings

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:

The pilot’s improper decision to take off in an airplane over maximum gross weight and with a tailwind, which prevented the airplane from climbing.

Findings

Personnel issues Decision making/judgment - Pilot

Aircraft Maximum weight - Capability exceeded

Environmental issues Tailwind - Effect on operation

Environmental issues (general) - Effect on operation

Factual Information

History of Flight

Prior to flight Aircraft loading event

Initial climb Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) (Defining event)

On July 25, 2020, about 0910 central daylight time, a Piper PA-28-140 airplane, N716RL, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Stinson Municipal Airport (SSF), San Antonio, Texas. The pilot and two passengers sustained fatal injuries. The airplane was operated under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as an instructional flight.

The pilot was a flight instructor who operated a flight school at SSF, and the two passengers were taking part in a local discovery flight to see if they wanted to pursue flight lessons. The pilot contacted the tower controller and reported that he had received weather information. The pilot then requested to depart runway 14 and perform one lap in the traffic pattern. The controller cleared the airplane for takeoff and reported that the wind was from 030° at 12 knots gusting to 20 knots. Airport surveillance video showed the airplane roll down the runway and take off as the airplane was about abeam the intersection of the runway with taxiway C, a takeoff roll of about 1,700 ft. As the airplane lifted off, it rolled slightly to the right. Another camera angle showed that the airplane’s wings rocked several times, and that the airplane did not climb. The airplane was in a nose-high attitude and was headed toward trees, after which the airplane was out of the camera’s view. The airplane subsequently collided with the trees and terrain, and a postimpact fire ensued.

A witness, who was a police officer and a private pilot, observed the airplane take off and noticed that the airplane was flying low. He continued to watch the airplane and stated that the nose of the airplane “kept popping up every 2 or 3 seconds but [the airplane] was still descending.” The witness stated that the engine sounded normal. He saw the airplane descend behind the tree line, heard the crash, and notified the police emergency dispatch.

Flight instructor Information

Certificate: Commercial; Flight instructor 

Age: 28, Male

Airplane Rating(s): Single-engine land; Single-engine sea

Seat Occupied: Left

Other Aircraft Rating(s): None

Restraint Used: Unknown

Instrument Rating(s): Airplane 

Second Pilot Present: No

Instructor Rating(s): Airplane single-engine; Instrument airplane

Toxicology Performed:

Medical Certification: Class 1 Without waivers/limitations

Last FAA Medical Exam: January 9, 2019

Occupational Pilot: Yes

Last Flight Review or Equivalent: January 19, 2019

Flight Time: 330 hours (Total, all aircraft)

The pilot’s logbook was not available during the course of the investigation. On the pilot’s most recent application for medical certificate, dated January 9, 2019, the pilot reported accruing 330 total hours with 200 hours logged in the preceding 6 months. The pilot’s total flight experience could not be determined.

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: Piper

Registration: N716RL

Model/Series: PA28 140

Aircraft Category: Airplane

Year of Manufacture: 1972

Amateur Built:

Airworthiness Certificate: Normal

Serial Number: 28-7225365

Landing Gear Type: Tricycle 

Seats: 3

Date/Type of Last Inspection: June 10, 2020 Annual 

Certified Max Gross Wt.: 1950 lbs

Time Since Last Inspection:

Engines: 1 Reciprocating

Airframe Total Time: 9010.4 Hrs as of last inspection

Engine Manufacturer: Lycoming

ELT: Installed

Engine Model/Series: O-320-E2A

Registered Owner:

Rated Power: 150 Horsepower

Operator:

Operating Certificate(s) Held: None

The airplane was certified to operate as a normal or utility category airplane. The airplane was found configured with four seats and according to its Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Type Certificate Data Sheet, a four place PA-28-140 can only operate in the normal category with a maximum gross weight of 2,150 lbs.

A pilot that also flew N716RL reported filling the airplane with fuel the day before and flew about a 0.9-hour flight. He also remarked that there was a full box of oil cans in the back seat of the airplane.

The airplane’s weight at takeoff was estimated to be 2,222.5 lbs or 72.5 lbs over maximum gross weight. It could not be determined if the pilot performed a weight and balance calculation before the flight.

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: Visual (VMC) 

Condition of Light: Day

Observation Facility, Elevation: KSSF, 568 ft msl 

Distance from Accident Site: 1 Nautical Miles

Observation Time: 09:18 Local

Direction from Accident Site: 318°

Lowest Cloud Condition: Clear

Visibility: 10 miles

Lowest Ceiling: None 

Visibility (RVR):

Wind Speed/Gusts: 12 knots / 19 knots

Turbulence Type Forecast/Actual: None / None

Wind Direction: 30°

Turbulence Severity Forecast/Actual: N/A / N/A

Altimeter Setting: 29.88 inches Hg

Temperature/Dew Point: 28°C / 23°C

Precipitation and Obscuration: No Obscuration; No Precipitation

Departure Point: San Antonio, TX (SSF) 

Type of Flight Plan Filed: None

Destination: San Antonio, TX (SSF) 

Type of Clearance: VFR

Departure Time: 

Type of Airspace: Class D

Using the tower controller’s report of wind from 030° at 12 knots gusting to 20 knots, the calculated tailwind component for takeoff on runway 14 was about 4 knots gusting to about 7 knots. Using the reported temperature at SSF of 28°C, the calculated density altitude was about 2,300 ft.

Airport Information

Airport: STINSON MUNI SSF

Runway Surface Type: Asphalt

Airport Elevation: 577 ft msl 

Runway Surface Condition:

Runway Used: 14

IFR Approach: None

Runway Length/Width: 4128 ft / 100 ft

VFR Approach/Landing: None

Stinson Municipal Airport is serviced by two runways: 9/27 and 14/32. The pilot departed from runway 14. According to the departure procedures listed for Stinson Municipal Airport, there are trees up to 70 ft tall starting 72 ft from the departure end of the runway.

The pilot routinely flew from SSF.

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 Fatal

Aircraft Damage: Destroyed

Passenger Injuries: 2 Fatal 

Aircraft Fire: On-ground

Ground Injuries: 

Aircraft Explosion: None

Total Injuries: 3 Fatal 

Latitude, Longitude: 29.331388,-98.464164(est)

The airplane impacted a residential backyard about 2,400 ft southeast of the departure end of runway 14. The first identified point of impact was a damaged tree along the northern fence line of the backyard. The portion of the right-wing fuel tank skin was located below the tree. The fiberglass right wingtip was located between the fuel tank and main wreckage. The main wreckage was located at the center of the backyard. Scorch marks extended to the southern edge of the yard and charring was observed to a wood fence.

An examination of the wreckage found that all flight controls were continuous except for the aileron balance cable which was fractured with broom-strawing. The flap handle was found in the first notch which corresponds with 10° flaps. Pitch trim was set to a partial nose-up setting. Engine controls were found full throttle and full rich mixture and the carburetor heat was off.

An engine examination revealed no preimpact anomalies that would have precluded normal operations.

Additional Information

Airplane Owner’s Handbook Performance Charts

Using the performance charts listed in the handbook for the airplane, at gross weight and a density altitude of 2,300 ft, the takeoff distance was about 1,125 ft, and the airplane was capable of a 550 ft per minute climb rate.

Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge

In the Federal Aviation Administration publication, The Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (FAA-H-8083-25B), dated 2016, Chapter 11, Aircraft Performance, states that if “the pilot attempts to climb out of ground effect without first attaining normal climb pitch attitude and airspeed, the airplane may inadvertently enter the region of reversed command at a dangerously low altitude. Even with full power, the airplane may be incapable of climbing or even maintaining altitude. The pilot’s only recourse in this situation is to lower the pitch attitude in order to increase airspeed, which inevitably results in a loss of altitude.

Accident Number: CEN20LA305
Date & Time:07/25/2020, 0930 CDT
Registration: N716RL
Aircraft: Piper PA28
Injuries: 1 Fatal, 2 Serious
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Business

On July 25, 2020, about 0930 central daylight time, a Piper PA-28 airplane, N716RL, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near San Antonio, Texas. A passenger was fatally injured, and the pilot and another passenger were seriously injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 aviation discovery flight.

According to preliminary information, the airplane was observed departing runway 14 but with a shallower than normal climb profile. The airplane "wobbled" and then descended into terrain. A post-impact fire ensued.

The airplane was retained for further examination.

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: Piper
Registration: N716RL
Model/Series: PA28 140
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Amateur Built:No
Operator: Robert Cole Perguson
Operating Certificate(s) Held: Pilot School (141)

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site:
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: KSSF, 571 ft msl
Observation Time:
Distance from Accident Site: 1 Nautical Miles
Temperature/Dew Point: 29°C / 22°C
Lowest Cloud Condition:
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: 12 knots / 23 knots, 50°
Lowest Ceiling: Broken / 2800 ft agl
Visibility: 10 Miles
Altimeter Setting: 29.88 inches Hg
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Departure Point: San Antonio, TX (SSF)
Destination: San Antonio, TX (SSF)

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 Serious
Aircraft Damage: Destroyed
Passenger Injuries: 1 Fatal, 1 Serious
Aircraft Fire: On-Ground
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 1 Fatal, 2 Serious
Latitude, Longitude: 29.331389, -98.464167 (est)

Robert “Cole” Perguson, 28, a resident of Converse, TX, succumbed to his injuries at Brooke Army Medical Center on August 11th, 2020.  He was born February 6th, 1992, in Laguna Beach, CA, to Robert “Robbie” and Julie Perguson.

After graduating from San Clemente High School in 2010, he moved to Santa Barbara to go to college before enlisting to serve in the United States Marine Corps in 2012. While in the Marines, he met the love of his life, and their journey began. In 2014, Cole married Katarina in Phoenix, AZ, before moving to Hawaii, where they welcomed their daughter, Violet Rosemary. Less than a year later, he was honorably discharged from the military and moved his family to San Antonio, to start his real estate business before discovering his true passion and became a pilot. Cole loved to travel, hike, bike, and lived life to the fullest and always had his family there beside him along for the ride.

Cole will be forever remembered by his wife and best friend Katarina, their precious daughter Violet, his mother Julie, his brother Bryton (Donna), and his Grandma Annie. He will also be forever remembered by his extended family and dear friends, Ben and Jeff, and so many others. He is predeceased by his father, Robert “Robbie” Perguson and his grandparents; Albert and Violet Grills and Robert “Bob” and Danita Perguson.  The Memorial service will be held at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery, 1520 Harry Wurzbach Rd, San Antonio, Texas, on August 21st, 2020, at 9:30 am.

A former student filed an FAA complaint against Robert Perguson and Valkyrie Aviation.

Flight instructor Robert Perguson (left) died weeks after his Piper PA-28-140 Cherokee crashed shortly after taking off from Stinson Municipal Airport. 

SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio pilot who was among three killed after his plane crashed near Stinson Municipal Airport in San Antonio this summer had twice been sanctioned by the Federal Aviation Agency (FAA) months before the fatal crash, according to records obtained by the KSAT 12 Defenders.

In both instances, however, FAA investigators allowed Robert Perguson to continue flying and operating his flight school, records show.

Perguson, 28, and passenger Zachary Collins, 33, died last month after both spent nearly three weeks at a San Antonio military burn center. The third person in Perguson’s Piper PA-28-140 Cherokee, 55-year-old Simon Willett, died at The scene of the July 25 crash in the 9400 block of Espada Road.

Willett’s widow, Emelie Willett, told KSAT last month that her husband and Collins were taking part in a discovery flight with Perguson to help determine if they wanted to pursue flying lessons.

“They said the engine was having issues keeping altitude, and the second (possible cause of the crash) could have been an overweight issue,” said Emelie Willett, referring to what investigators told her shortly after the crash. The plane crashed shortly after taking off.

A preliminary report released by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) provided few details about what may have contributed to the accident.

The August 21 report states that the airplane climbed out “shallower than normal” and “wobbled” before descending into the ground and catching fire.

It could be another year or longer before the NTSB releases its full report and determines an official cause of the crash.

Photos provided by the San Antonio Fire Department’s Public Information Office showed the heavily charred wreckage in the backyard of a home south of Stinson.

Prior FAA complaints

Perguson, who, according to public records, had opened Valkyrie Aviation last year and built up a fleet of four training airplanes, was the subject of at least two separate complaints made to the FAA.

One of the complaints, filed last year by a flight instructor based at Bulverde Airpark, accused Perguson of taxiing his plane on the runway there as the instructor and a student were on final approach to land.

“He decided to go ahead and ignore my calls and take the runway and back taxi, which caused me to have to do a go-around,” said instructor Matt Harris, who added that he and Perguson had just spoken to one another via flight radio.

“As soon as I saw him pull out, I didn’t have enough room or enough time to land,” said Harris, who described adding power to his plane in order to avoid colliding with Perguson’s aircraft.

In April, an FAA official confirmed via email to Harris that its San Antonio Flight Standards District Office had completed its investigation of the incident and determined “a violation of an order, regulation or standard” related to Perguson’s operation of an aircraft had taken place.

The email stated that appropriate action was taken, but did not specify what that action was.

Harris said the flight school that employs him also briefly employed Perguson, before deciding it was not a good fit.

“We weren’t satisfied with the quality he was doing, so we found it best to part ways with him,” said Harris, who added that Perguson’s tenure lasted about two weeks.

Harris, and a former student of Perguson’s, who asked that he not be identified in this story, said Perguson was providing spin training to beginner students in a plane that was not rated for that type of maneuver.

A second, wider-reaching complaint was filed with the FAA against Perguson in November.

In that complaint, filed by a former student of his, Perguson was accused of training the woman to be a certified flight instructor (CFI) even though he had not held his own CFI certificate at least two years, a federal requirement.

The complaint also stated that Perguson told the instructor to train other students, even though she was not properly rated to do so.

In one text message reviewed by the Defenders, Perguson told the woman last September, “I need you to fly with (redacted) I need him proficient he’s very rusty can you teach him how to fly again?”

The student eventually responded via text message that she was not comfortable flying with the other person.

The former student concluded her complaint by stating that Perguson’s “standard of excellence and adherence to the rules is questionable. Please look into this flight school’s operations before we have a mishap.”

FAA investigators substantiated the portions of her complaint related to Perguson providing CFI training prior to having his own flight instructor certificate longer than 24 calendar months.

As the student pointed out, Perguson’s infraction meant the CFI training she received from him could not be counted toward her certificate.

FAA investigators could not substantiate portions of her complaint that Perguson told her to train other students, records show.

FAA officials opted to give Perguson “compliance actions” instead of revoking or temporarily suspending his certificates, an agency spokesperson confirmed.

These compliance actions typically include administrative sanctions such as counseling or a warning letter, a spokesperson for the FAA’s Southwest Region, which includes Texas, confirmed via email late last month.

According to the FAA’s website, its compliance program focuses on non-enforcement methods to correct unintentional infractions or noncompliance with the rules and does not officially constitute an FAA violation.

FAA officials, however, did not provide the specific compliance actions given to Perguson following his two cases.

What other former students say

Court records show at the time of his death, Perguson was a defendant in three pending lawsuits filed in Bexar County Justice of the Peace Precinct 4.

One of the suits involved a landlord-tenant dispute in which Perguson was accused of not returning a man’s security deposit after he had moved out of Perguson’s property.

The two other suits, however, involve allegations that Perguson accepted funds from students at his flight school then failed to return those funds after not providing promised training.

The plaintiff in one case, who asked that he not be identified, said he used a bonus from an airline that had hired him along with a credit card advance to pay Perguson for multi-engine aircraft training only to later find out that Perguson did not have a multi-engine aircraft in his fleet.

The suit claims the former student was able to recover a portion of his payments but was still owed more than $4,000 from Perguson.

The former student also filed a theft complaint with the San Antonio Police Department against Perguson in August 2019 but was told it was a civil matter.

Reached by telephone last month, the man told the Defenders he also witnessed Perguson install an instrument landing antenna on one of his planes even though he was not a certified aircraft mechanic permitted to do that type of work.

The third lawsuit, filed by the same woman who reported Perguson to the FAA in November, accused him of breaching their contract for flight training and asked the court to award her more than $9,700.

Records show in June 2019 she also filed a theft report with SAPD against Perguson.

The former student also filed consumer complaints against Perguson with the Federal Trade Commission and the Texas Attorney General’s Office.

Reached by telephone in recent weeks, six other former students told the Defenders they previously expressed concerns, many of them when contacted by the FAA, about Perguson’s flying and aircraft maintenance habits.

Multiple students, who asked that they not be identified since they are still pursuing flying lessons locally, said Perguson would put water in the fuel tanks of his planes during preflight checks, even though pilots typically do the opposite, removing water and other contaminants prior to flying.

Another student said she suffered from severe stress after flying with Perguson and that after she provided FAA investigators information about her experiences with him, they informed her that he had not filled out her flight logbook properly.

The woman said she changed flight schools early this year.

Another student said he repeatedly witnessed Perguson perform work on his planes even though he was not certified to do so.

Another former student said while he was flying back from Austin with Perguson, the instructor flew too close to a home and was later informed by air traffic controllers that he had violated Class C airspace.

The students criticized the FAA for not only refusing to ground Perguson, but for failing to release what sanctions he was given after the two investigations were completed.

Two former students reached by the Defenders said they had positive experiences flying with Perguson.

Valkyrie Aviation was still in operation when the Defenders stopped by for comment last month.

An instructor working with students promised to pass along our request for comment to management, but so far, the Defenders have not heard back.

The Cessna 150 parked at Stinson Municipal Airport is registered to Robert Perguson.

One of the school’s airplanes, a Cessna 150, was parked on the ramp at Stinson as recently as last week.

Emelie Willett, who sat down with KSAT for an interview early last month, declined a request for a follow-up interview and referred our questions to a San Antonio attorney retained by the family.

Reached by telephone, the attorney said they had also engaged the services of a prominent Austin-based attorney who is well versed in aviation law and litigation.

“Unsafe pilots are one thing, but to be an unsafe instructor and teaching that to students that are inexperienced and are trying to learn how to fly the plane, they shouldn’t be flying with people that are that unsafe and putting them in a dangerous situation,” said Harris, the flight instructor. “Someone that has that much disregard for safety shouldn’t be flying, period.”


https://www.ksat.com

Robert “Cole” Perguson, 28, a resident of Converse, Texas, succumbed to his injuries at Brooke Army Medical Center on August 11th, 2020.

He was born February 6th, 1992, in Laguna Beach, CA, to Robert “Robbie” and Julie Perguson.

After graduating from San Clemente High School in 2010, he moved to Santa Barbara to go to college before enlisting to serve in the United States Marine Corps in 2012. While in the Marines, he met the love of his life, and their journey began. In 2014, Cole married Katarina in Phoenix, AZ, before moving to Hawaii, where they welcomed their daughter, Violet Rosemary. Less than a year later, he was honorably discharged from the military and moved his family to San Antonio, to start his real estate business before discovering his true passion and became a pilot. Cole loved to travel, hike, bike, and lived life to the fullest and always had his family there beside him along for the ride.

Cole will be forever remembered by his wife and best friend Katarina, their precious daughter Violet, his mother Julie, his brother Bryton (Donna), and his Grandma Annie. He will also be forever remembered by his extended family and dear friends, Ben and Jeff, and so many others. He is predeceased by his father, Robert “Robbie” Perguson and his grandparents; Albert and Violet Grills and Robert “Bob” and Danita Perguson.

The Memorial service will be held at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery, 1520 Harry Wurzbach Rd, San Antonio, Texas, on Friday, August 21st, 2020, at 9:30 am.

https://www.tributearchive.com

Robert “Cole” Perguson

San Antonio – The widow of a veteran who died in a South Side plane crash is remembering the love of her life as a kind and gentle man. That man, Simon David Willett, 55, was killed after the plane he was flying in crash landed in someone’s backyard.

Emelie Willett, his wife, said he genuinely had a good soul.

She said he was born in Birmingham, England and moved to Hawaii when he was 6-years-old. From there, he went to school, joined the Air Force, and after seven years of service, worked for the VA for 32-plus years.

“He would drop everything to be anywhere someone needed him to be,” Emelie Willett said. “He was an amazing man. It was funny because he tried to be stern but his demeanor was always to make people laugh. He was a mentor and had so many people who admired him. He was a loving person.”

Simon Willett was a goofy character.

“He was Star Wars freak and a Sci-Fi buff and a big Dr. Who fan,” Emelie Willett said. “People just saw a light in him that they just wanted to follow... He wanted to be Vader. It was so funny. He would actually walk down the halls in hospitals with a black cape on, every so often with his suit on, just to make somebody smile.”

She said he also loved everything to do with flying.

“He had the spirit of a child,” Emelie Willett said. “Him and his best friend were into Flight Sim. There was nothing about airplanes that they did not love. They were like 12-year-old boys when they got together or got online and started playing Flight Sim. He knew everything about planes. Every type of plane you could imagine.”

Emelie said Simon was actually taking steps to get his pilot’s license when the crash happened.

“This was supposed to be a discovery flight where he wanted to see if that instructor was the right one to help him earn his pilot’s license,” Emelie Willett said. “I can’t be mad because it was his passion and that is the one thing he alway encouraged in me was to do whatever I wanted to do and loved to do and that is the one thing I would never stop him from doing.”

She said the crash was so bad, she had to provide dental records to the medical examiner so they could identify him.

“Everything was burned,” Emelie Willett said. “There was nothing there to recognize. The FAA took over the investigation and I did get a call from a couple of investigators. They gave me preliminary details but couldn’t confirm them just yet. They did tell me it was one of two things that happened. They said that the engine was having issues keeping altitude and the second could have possibly been an overweight issue. My husband’s best friend is like a 6′4 big guy and my husband wasn’t a tiny man either. I told them, by all means, I don’t want to hold anyone responsible. I would just like to know why.”

She said she was at work when she got the devastating call.

“I was at work at my early shift Saturday morning and I knew what he was getting up to do that morning,” Emelie Willett said. “I was training someone at work and I was driving when I answered the phone. I hear this officer say, ‘This is officer so and so. Is this Emelie Willett?’ I said, ‘Hold that thought. I am driving and I need to pull over.’ I had a feeling where this was going. As soon as he said there has been an accident, I knew he did not walk away from this. In my heart I already knew it. Even if I didn’t want to admit it to myself, I knew,” she said through tears.

Emelie said they told her to go to the Brooke Army Medical Center because that was where they were taking the bodies.

“In every part of my being, I thought my husband was one of those bodies,” Emelie Willett said. “I spent half the day in misery there thinking my husband was one of the men on the bed suffering, not knowing he was the one who passed away.”

After realizing her husband was gone, Emelie said she had several emotions.

“You know, you got through so many different things,” Emelie Willett said. “Anger, thankfulness because I know he would not have had a quality of life if he was suffering on a bed.”

She said his best friend, who is one of the survivors of the plane crash, is still in the hospital.

“His family has been staying in touch with me,” Emelie said. “He has been in an induced coma and on dialysis so his kidneys don’t go into shock so the rest of him can heal. Today he got his third surgery to get rid of the burned flesh. Next week, if he still holds stable, they will start doing skin grafts... If anything, my husband would gladly give his life over and over again to make sure he walks out of that hospital so he can spend the rest of his life with his family.”

Emelie, who like Simon, had failed marriages in the past, said Simon showed her what true love really was.

“You are capable of having a relationship with an individual and want to actually go home to somebody and he was my sanctuary,” Emelie said. “This place was his sanctuary and he was my sanctuary. Five and a half years of marriage and we only had one argument. We had so many plans. He was able to retire on his birthday in May. We were going to be traveling. We had our passports and he wanted me to go to Hawaii to see where grew up. He wanted me to go Birmingham, England. We had so many plans and I just thought I had more time.”

Emelie said she is ready to get back to work so she can take her mind off of this loss.

“He made life beautiful and if I don’t at least carry on, I would be doing little justice to what he gave me when he was alive,” Emelie said. “He was about the little details. Everywhere I look, he is in all the little details and he will always be.”

She is now raising money for funeral expenses. To honor him, she said she plans to have a memorial and a lantern release on the Medina Lake starting at 6 p.m.

“I plan to have him cremated and since he loved Hawaii so much, I am thinking about taking his ashes there to release them. I would just encourage everyone to enjoy your life, love who you love and don’t hold any grudges. Love with all of your heart because you never know.”


https://www.ksat.com

San Antonio – A couple riding their bikes early Saturday morning are urging people to be prepared to help others, no matter how helpless a situation may be. This call to action comes after a plane crashed on the South Side, killing one and injuring two others.

“We were riding our bikes crossing over 410 South when we see smoke,” said Veronica Salas. “I said, ‘It is a fire!’ He (Michael Urdiales) thought it was a just a plane throwing out smoke but I told him it was a fire.”

The couple decided to get closer to the scene and when they did, they saw the unexpected.

“There was this big guy and he was like, ‘I am burning!’ I looked over and there is another gentlemen sitting on the ground,” Salas said. “They were both blistered up and they both didn’t have any hair. Their hands were crazy. It was all just a traumatic scene. It was like a scary movie because you had these burned people and then you see this fire. The guy is like, ‘Just give me some water!’ So I got my water bottle and I am squeezing as much water out and I tell everybody else standing there to ‘get water please!’”

Urdiales said he didn’t know what could have possibly happened to have caused the injuries he was looking at.

“When we were riding, we didn’t hear anything,” Urdiales said. “We didn’t hear a bang or feel an explosion or nothing, so when I saw the men, I thought they were barbecuing and had accidentally put too much gas in the grill or something.”

The two soon learned that a plane had crashed and there was still another man inside of it.

“It was actually one of the victims who told me there was another man still inside the plane,” said Michael Urdiales, Salas’s boyfriend. “He was bleeding all over his face because he had a head injury but he was able to tell me where the plane was, which was in someone’s backyard.”

Urdiales said he was confused because so many people standing around were not trying to save the man.

“Someone said it in Spanish and was saying the plane was popping and that they thought it was going to explode,” Urdiales said. “I am guessing that is why nobody was back there trying to help. By that time, I didn’t know what I could do to help but I was going to at least try. If there was a possibility of saving him, I was going to try my best.”

He said when he found the plane, it was unrecognizable.

“The wreckage was so bad that it was a miracle the two other men made it out of it,” Urdiales said. “You couldn’t even tell it was plane. All you could see was the tail, so I am trying to vision this plane and I am like, ‘Where the heck could this guy be at?’ I am like, ‘I don’t know where the third person could be in this wreckage,’ and I finally see him and he is like laying on his back. His hand was up and it was melting.”

Urdiales said the heat was so extreme, he couldn’t get near the plane to remove the man’s body from the flames.

“It was a terrible situation to come up on when you finally realize he was gone. I was like, ‘Man, I was just too late to help him,’” Urdiales said. “That is the worst part. You are helpless. Once I saw him it was too late to help him. He was engulfed in fire. The fire was really, really intense.”

They said they believe the crash had happened seven to 10 minutes before they arrived.

“It was a surreal moment the fact that we were just a couple of cyclists who pulled over and saw all of this,” Salas said. “People were parked along the street. They were just parked there looking. We don’t know how long the fire could have been going but what breaks my heart is that no one went back there to help him. We feel like we didn’t do anything because by the time we got there, it was too late.”

Salas said it was a very emotional experience for her.

“Seeing him like that,” Salas said through tears. “He was somebody’s dad, somebody’s husband. He was somebody, you know, and I just hope that as bad as it was and as bad as he died that his soul is somewhere good because what I saw wasn’t good.”

They said first responders soon arrived on scene. They said they hope if another devastating incident such as this were to happen again, more people would step in to help as they did.

“I was just dumbfounded by the number of people who were just standing around not doing anything,” Urdiales said.

“That could have been your family member,” Salas said. “I couldn’t imagine if we could have been there earlier, could someone have helped them sooner. I would just encourage people to help. Be a human and pull over and help instead of looking. That is what you do. I didn’t want to see all that but I did because I wanted to help and that is what being a human being is. Don’t hold back. Help people the best you can do. Even if it seems small, sometimes simply asking them how can you help is helping people.”

https://www.ksat.com

SAN ANTONIO – The Bexar County Medical Examiner’s office has identified the victim of a fatal plane crash that happened last weekend on the South Side.  The victim killed in the crash has been identified as Simon Willett, 56, according to the ME’s Office. Two others were hospitalized with severe burns following the incident.  The crash happened July 25th, at 9:10 a.m. in the 9400 block of Espada Road, near Stinson Municipal Airport.  The Federal Aviation Administration and police said the Piper PA-28-140 Cherokee attempted to take off from San Antonio Stinson field and soon crash-landed behind a residence in a backyard area.