Old, bold pilot because he started late in life - RIP Kenny
 

Plane crash outside Chelan kills pilot | iFIBER ONE News | ifiberone.com

My snowmobile buddy Kenny took his plane up for it's first test ride since he crashed it last fall trying to land on his lawn at home. (true story).......His kids told him not to fly. His mechanic that rebuilt the plane told him not to go up until he had more training........Mechanic watched him take off yesterday morning. Clear skies, no wind. Watched him climb too steeply and too slowly. Watched him start a turn out over the river without proper speed and still climbing. Watched the stall and dive toward the ground. Watched the ball of flames in the apple orchard. Watched Kenny die.

Kenny was 68 and the nicest guy you'd ever meet. He was never the same after his son was killed on his snowmobile in avalanche in 2004 near Lake Cle Elum:

https://www.dailyrecordnews.com/news/avalanche-kills-man-in-upper-countyanother-man-survives-separate-avalanche/article_55f90c8c-8c67-5194-bec4-1924141704a3.html

His wife started drinking heavily after that. They divorced after she got arrested for a DV assault on him.

Kenny lived 2 hours from me on the Columbia River at Chelan Falls. He bought his first plane 2 yrs ago and took his flying lessons from the seller. Last fall, he tried to land on his lawn between his house and the river and crashed into an orchard. He wasn't hurt. Sheriff told him to leave the plane where it was and the NTSB would be out the next day. Kenny used his backhoe to drag the plane to his shop that night. No investigation.

Turns out an old girlfriend of mine lives 2 doors away. Hadn't talked to her in years. But, I called her yesterday after a Facebook message about our friend. She had some stories:

June said the story gets better. After the crash in the neighborhood, Kenny started building his own landing strip on the railroad right of way that is beside their homes.......Used his dump truck and backhoe to bring in fill. Plants grass and puts in a sprinkler system......Told the railroad he was just trying to improve the looks of the neighborhood. All the neighbors knew he was building his private air strip. An air strip he never got to use.

That all sounds like Kenny. For a snowmobiler in his late 60's, the words "fearless" and "reckless" often come up in stories......

RIP Kenny. we had some good times.......Hope someone can learn a lesson here?

That sucks.
Sorry to hear about your friend.
I am sure that there are more than a few good stories that you could share when the time is right.

He died doing what he loved? I'm reaching here...

It kind of sounds like he had a death wish. There is an old saying, "If at first you don't succeed, sky diving is probably not for you." I'd add flying airplanes to that list. RIP.

Damn, Bob, I'm really sorry to hear that. Sad story all the way around.

Denis - Kenny is the guy that offered you his shop when you were looking to do an engine swap on a truck up this way about 5 yrs ago.......

I'm sorry to hear of his passing. Did I ever communicate w him? I have no memory of that.

I did not mean any disrespect, maybe my post was too lighthearted as I reread it. It just sounds like he was not someone who should fly planes. Condolences to his friends, including you.

Sad on many levels.

agreed.

sounds like a fella who decided he had nothing left to lose.

My FIL was distraught when he had to give up his pilot's license a few years back because of high blood pressure....most likely the best thing for all involved. It doesn't sound like Kenny wanted to take any advice, and blaze (bad pun) his own trail.

It does sound that way. Can certainly understand if he lost his child.

Sorry for the loss of your Friend.
Sounds like he lived life "His way".

Denis - 4 years ago. Kenny had a shop in Sultan and Chelan Falls then: I don't think you ever talked, here's you thread:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/off-topic-discussions/876984-might-need-some-help-seattle.html

Sorry for your loss. I can certainly understand how he could have lost his will to live after losing his son, which may have influenced his risk taking. When my oldest son was 5 years old he had a near drowning accident while at a YMCA day camp. He was saved through a series of events that can only be described as miracles. A night in the Peds ICU later he was discharged, leaving only PTSD and a shell shocked family to show for his ordeal.

Through counseling we were all able to make it through, and that is with Alex coming out of it without permanent physical injuries. There is no doubt in my mind that if we had lost Alex that my wife and I would have separated within a year and I'd lay odds that one or both of us would be dead by now. I would certainly be living at the bottom of a whiskey bottle if I was living at all. I later read statistics that showed that a huge percent of parents whose children die young get divorced. I know neither of us could have lived with ourselves without Alex.

There is a passage in the Bible where King David mourns the death of his oldest son - a son who had been trying to kill David - and cries out something like "Absalom, oh that I could have died instead of you." I think that expresses the feelings we all have for our children. We would give our lives to save theirs any time.

Godspeed to Kenny and may he find the peace in the next world that he was searching for in this one.

Right, I remember the trip but I don't think I ever got in touch w that guy because I got the place in Seattle from Jerry and there were some other factors, etc...

It was nice of you to offer the connection, though, and I'm sorry for your loss.

That's sad. Remind me not to try and fly a plane w/o proper training.

To those that sail maybe he didn't give a siht, I don't think anyone wants to face the fear of falling out of the sky only to be crushed. Not the last few seconds I want in this world.

That's quite a post, MRM. Thanks for opening up and sharing for those of us who appreciate life perspectives.

Sorry for the loss of your snow mobile buddy, Bob.

As with the post above by MRM....thanks for sharing this life perspective with us. FWIW, I am taking it to heart.

I really loved the account where Kenny dragged his wrecked plane from the Orchard the night of the crash instead of leaving it for the NTSB. God bless that man!

Thank you MRM for the below.

I am just glad Kenny only killed himself and some apples.

I'd write more about exactly how stupid this all was (he was, for example, very near an airport he could have towed his airplane to and done a proper prep) but I'd only get angry at the waste of a perfectly good airplane.

I'm sorry about the loss of your friend.

There is lots to learn in this thread...