[JYO] Plane Missed First Landing; Crash Investigation Continues...

from Leesburg Today...

Plane Missed First Landing; Crash Investigation Continues
Norman K. Styer

Mar 02, 2003 -- The passenger who initially survived yesterday?s plane crash in Leesburg died last night at Fairfax Hospital. According to Virginia State Police, Bronson Byrd, 56, of Purcellville, died at 7:25 p.m. Saturday. The pilot of the TBM 700 turboprop that crashed into the back yard of a Ayr Street home has been identified as Donald W. Fitzpatrick, 58, of Reston. Gregory D. Jackson, 42, of Sterling, was the copilot. Fitzpatrick and Jackson died instantly in the crash.

Both the state police and the National Transportation Safety Board are conducting investigations of the crash. A team of NTSB inspectors was expected to be on the scene today and tomorrow before the plane is moved to an NTSB hanger.

Trooper Randy Buracker said the plane was inbound from Sarasota, FL and had made one stop in South Carolina to drop off a passenger. The plane was scheduled to land at Leesburg Executive Airport at 3 p.m.

Although the NTSB investigation will take several months to complete, weather is expected to be a factor in the crash. The cloud ceiling was reported to be 300 feet, with 3/4 mile visibility. Both pilots held instrument-rated licenses, allowing them to fly in bad weather.

Investigators say that the plane apparently missed its first approach to landing at Leesburg Airport and was circling around to retry the landing when it crashed through trees and hit the ground in the backyard of Bob Brown, owner of a Leesburg real estate firm. No one was home at the time of the crash and the plane came to rest within 10 feet of the home?s back wall. While the propeller and other airplane parts were scattered over the patio, there appeared to be no damage to the two-story brick home.

The effort to save Byrd?s life involved dozens of people. Randolph Breton, a long-time veteran of the county?s volunteer emergency medical services system, was at the Tally Ho Theatre to see Gods and Generals when the call went out. With the crash just a few blocks away, Breton was among the first on the scene. A number of doctors living in the area also ran to the scene to provide assistance. Byrd was moved from the plane to an ambulance and then taken to the newly reopened emergency room at Loudoun Hospital?s Cornwall Street campus, about 30 seconds away. While he was being stabilized there, county fire and rescue services dispatchers were working to find a helicopter available to transport Byrd to a regional trauma center. Heavy cloud cover had grounded the AirCare and MedStar helicopters that generally serve Loudoun. But a Maryland State Police helicopter was put in the air. It got as far south as Lucketts before encountering worsening fog and being forced to return to its base in Frederick.

Byrd was then transported by ambulance to Fairfax Hospital where nearly 30 doctors, nurses and other medical staff were awaiting his arrival. ?He got the best care humanly possible,? Breton said.

The aircraft was a TBM 700 manufactured by Socata. The plane is registered to High Performance Technologies in Arlington and was last registered on Jan. 22.
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