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Suwannee County Fla--2 Seperate Plane Crashes
2 planes crash, man dies of heart attack
Violet McDonald, Democrat Copy Editor
It was a perfect day for a plane ride. It was a perfect day for two miracles. But one man witnessed his miracle just before experiencing his death.
On May 24, two unrelated plane crashes left two pilots and a passenger uninjured. But the narrow escape turned to tragedy when one of the pilots who walked away from one crash landing later died from a heart attack.
According to Suwannee County Sheriff's Office reports, Robert Kendig and his wife, Jackie, decided to take a plane ride around 7 p.m. As they came back to Kitty Hawk Estates in western Suwannee County about an hour later, the couple discovered the landing gear would not come down. Mrs. Kendig told deputies she helped her husband push the manual lever which brought the gear down. But as they landed, the landing gear retracted back up under the wings and the plane came down on its belly.
"Jackie advised that she nor her husband, Robert, were hurt in this incident," Sgt. Sam St. John said.
That's when the Kendig's miracle turned to tragedy. According to reports, the couple had obtained some tools from their home and were heading back to the plane in a golf cart.
"Jackie advised that approximately halfway there Robert was driving the golf cart, and he slowed up some and she looked over at Robert and he gasped for air and called out her name and then fell out of the golf cart onto the ground," St. John said.
Mrs. Kendig went for help, but attempts by EMS to resuscitate Mr. Kendig were unsuccessful. His death was considered of natural causes and no further investigation is expected.
Another pilot, Dennis Nelson McClure, crash-landed his ultra light aircraft that same afternoon. According to Sheriff's Office reports, McClure said he took off and once in the air, lost power. He attempted to land back on the airstrip at Little River Airport, but he did not have enough altitude and landed in the wooded section between the airstrips. An off-duty fireman who went to assist said the plane came down in the branches of a tree, another miracle for May 24.
"Dennis advised that he did not get hurt in any way in the crash," St. John said.
Violet McDonald may be reached by calling 386/362-1734 ext. 130 or by e-mail at [email protected].
Violet McDonald, Democrat Copy Editor
It was a perfect day for a plane ride. It was a perfect day for two miracles. But one man witnessed his miracle just before experiencing his death.
On May 24, two unrelated plane crashes left two pilots and a passenger uninjured. But the narrow escape turned to tragedy when one of the pilots who walked away from one crash landing later died from a heart attack.
According to Suwannee County Sheriff's Office reports, Robert Kendig and his wife, Jackie, decided to take a plane ride around 7 p.m. As they came back to Kitty Hawk Estates in western Suwannee County about an hour later, the couple discovered the landing gear would not come down. Mrs. Kendig told deputies she helped her husband push the manual lever which brought the gear down. But as they landed, the landing gear retracted back up under the wings and the plane came down on its belly.
"Jackie advised that she nor her husband, Robert, were hurt in this incident," Sgt. Sam St. John said.
That's when the Kendig's miracle turned to tragedy. According to reports, the couple had obtained some tools from their home and were heading back to the plane in a golf cart.
"Jackie advised that approximately halfway there Robert was driving the golf cart, and he slowed up some and she looked over at Robert and he gasped for air and called out her name and then fell out of the golf cart onto the ground," St. John said.
Mrs. Kendig went for help, but attempts by EMS to resuscitate Mr. Kendig were unsuccessful. His death was considered of natural causes and no further investigation is expected.
Another pilot, Dennis Nelson McClure, crash-landed his ultra light aircraft that same afternoon. According to Sheriff's Office reports, McClure said he took off and once in the air, lost power. He attempted to land back on the airstrip at Little River Airport, but he did not have enough altitude and landed in the wooded section between the airstrips. An off-duty fireman who went to assist said the plane came down in the branches of a tree, another miracle for May 24.
"Dennis advised that he did not get hurt in any way in the crash," St. John said.
Violet McDonald may be reached by calling 386/362-1734 ext. 130 or by e-mail at [email protected].