Plane crash victims identified

Family and friends say the pilot was a businessman who has a long list of community service and the other man on board was also an experienced pilot and mechanic.

Sunday, February 3rd 2008, 7:57 pm

By: News 9


By Rusty Surette, NEWS 9

Family and friends say the pilot was a businessman who has a long list of community service and the other man on board was also an experienced pilot and mechanic. Now, an entire town and team of investigators are trying to find out what went wrong.

Fifteen hours after the fatal fall from the sky, National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration investigators were back at the scene of the plane crash that killed both 53-year-old William P. "Bronc" Jackson and his passenger; a man identified as Joe Grimes.

"It was part of an instructional flight," Leah Yeagar of NTSB said. "The pilot was receiving a flight review."

First responders to the site say the wreckage was so mangled, it took a few hours for investigators to figure out who the plane belonged to and who was on board.

Once the identifications were made, the town of Lindsay quickly learned it lost a man who was not only a pilot, but also a man who loved children, was on the Lindsay School Board and was involved in community activities.

Jackson also owned two vet clinics. One clinic is located in Lindsay and another in Sulpher.

Back at the crash site, investigators tried to find out what caused the plane to go down.

"We'll be on the scene for the rest of the day until we get the heavy aircraft to a secure salvage facility," Yeagar said.

NTSB records show more than 46 people have died in SR-22 model plane crashes since 2003.

Family and friends say both men were experienced pilots and feel certain this accident is the result of mechanical problems.

According to Cirrus Company Web site, the SR-22 model airplane is the world's best selling airplane in its class and some are equipped with on-board parachutes.

A preliminary report from the NTSB should be available by next Friday. It could take several months before the final report is released.

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