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Authorities Say Deadly Ala. Plane Crash Likely Caused by Teens on a ‘Joyride’
- Posted on January 2, 2013 at 1:54pm by
Erica Ritz
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A screen shot shows emergency vehicles responding to a plane crash in Alabama (Photo: Al.com/Joe Songer)
(TheBlaze/AP) — Investigators believe a small plane that crashed in the Alabama woods was taken without permission for a joyride by three teenagers who died in the wreck Tuesday night.
Walker County sheriff’s Chief Deputy James Painter said Wednesday authorities are still investigating, but believe the teenagers took off in the Piper PA 30 before it went down in a wooded area near Jasper, northwest of Birmingham.
“We don’t know for sure but we think it was some teenagers who stole the plane and were sort of joyriding it,” Painter told The Associated Press. “They got it in and took off and didn’t go very far.”
He continued: “I think they were just looking for a thrill and they had their last one.”
The names of the three occupants of the plane haven’t been released, but at least one was reportedly a student pilot.
“It was a student pilot flying an airplane without permission, an airplane that he was not qualified to fly at night,” airport manager Edwin Banks said.
The teenage pilot had flown a single-engine airplane in the past “and he got in a double-engine at night in bad weather with a couple of his buddies,” Banks added.
Margaret Swann said the plane crash happened “just across the fence” from her home, about a quarter of a mile away.
Margaret Swann, who lives near where the plane crashed, speaks about the tragedy. (Photo: Al.com/Joe Songer)
She also had some more information on why, perhaps, details have been slow in coming. Essentially, she said, the plane crashed in an area that has become a vast swamp with recent rain.
“This land here, if it’s dry, you can go on it,” she warned. “If it’s wet, stay off.”
The Piper PA 30 is also called a Piper Twin Comanche. It is a low-wing plane with two propellers and can seat four to six, depending on the model.
Swann added that the plane took some time to locate, and that responders didn’t leave until roughly 4 o’clock in the morning.
“I feel so sorry for the families of the young men in the plane…it’s a terrible, terrible thing,” she concluded.
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Chrisrob63
Posted on January 3, 2013 at 12:27pmThe report makes it seem like stealing an aircraft is no big thing; just a joyride. Try using that excuse after you crash your neighbor’s Corvette that you just borrowed without his permission. It’s called grand theft.
If he had not killed himself, this student pilot’s flying career was done, as the FAA frowns on such activity. Jail time, felony record, non-voting, non gun owning status. Not to mention finding a decent job, let alone a career as a pilot.
At least they didn’t crash into someones home, in the process.
Report Post »MyAlaska
Posted on January 3, 2013 at 11:57amConsidering most Militaries worldwide consist of primarily16-19 year olds. They are obviously the MOST deadly group on the planet. Banning of teenagers is approprate. Please turn in all teenagers to the nearest government buy-back program station.
Report Post »Comeandtakeit
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 6:55pmI don’t think any of those kids were going to find the cure for cancer or build a better fuel source. Just sayin.
Report Post »sillyfreshness
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 11:39pmYou can’t fix stupid. I mean if some punk kid friend of mine said “come on let’s go flying” I would say you go ahead and I’ll watch. What a bad choice.
Report Post »G-WHIZ
Posted on January 3, 2013 at 10:28amGee…Y’A THINK(OR-NOT) they learned from their experience?? Becha dey wonna doo it again!!
Report Post »rp454
Posted on January 3, 2013 at 11:16amNo worries. Just Darwin at work cleaning the gene pool.
Report Post »BobtheMoron
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 6:43pmGravity sucks.
Report Post »dont-care-anymore
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 6:36pmthere was a second gravity in the woods
Report Post »powedj
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 3:12pmBan all small airplanes.
Report Post »Landon410
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 3:31pmits the only resonable thing to do… I mean who would need a plane with 2 engines?
Report Post »IndyServative
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 5:54pmBan children!
Report Post »IndyServative
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 5:56pmAnd lets ban children, too.
Report Post »DougHuffman
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 3:04pmI’ll bet they are all virtual ACEs in their virtual reality virtual war virtual gamers world. Reality Bites, Risk Bites.org
μολων λαβέ molṑn labé ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒE “From my cold, dead hands” works for me.
Report Post »forthepeople
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 2:53pmDarwin was correct , Moron gene’s hit the end of the line !
Report Post »oldguy49
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 3:06pmand st peter said………….yep joy great ride til you stop real quick
Report Post »DREDGE
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 2:44pmIt’s called culling!!! The weak, stupid, and suicidal all go down the same trail.
Report Post »Free_Thought
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 2:44pmToo bad for these kids. Probably sounded like a good idea at the time.
Report Post »ArmedAndReallyPissed
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 2:30pmSad. Innocents get killed and yet the Murdering, Lying, Treasonous Communist’s Air Farce One never even has a Hiccup. No justice.
Report Post »MrSunshine
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 2:21pmThings that make you go, HUH?
Report Post »BODYBAG
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 2:19pmIts all fun and games until someone loses an ———
Report Post »Plan B
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 2:17pmI feel so sorry for the families of these kids, such a shame.
Report Post »dadsrootbeer
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 2:12pmBush’s fault.
Report Post »MittensKittens
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 2:21pmCrazy kids, I remember taking my dad’s truck around the block when I was 13, but never his plane!
Report Post »Action-Not-Just_Words
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 2:12pmBan airplanes or teenagers?
Report Post »Landon410
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 3:32pmboth! they are just too dangerous, and going along lines of guns…. you know…. those black guns are scary looking, not really any more dangerous than any other gun, but scary looking….. so lets ban all black planes and…. i wont keep talking….
Report Post »h20sue
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 2:10pmLock up your plane, guns, ammo, and find a place that only you and your spouse are aware of.
Report Post »God help their souls but the people who will struggle the most with this are the parents. They thought they did a good job raising their children. You just never kow what teens are capable of. Guess they didn’t learn the lesson concerning “right and wrong”. Sound as if they were a little on the spoiled side, if they had access to a plane….This is extremely sad. God keep them safe in heaven and our prayers are with the families.
Leslie Anne
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 2:06pmDarwin Award.
Report Post »COFemale
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 2:04pmThey paid the price for their tom foolery. Guess they won’t make this mistake again. It is a shame that the one who had lessons endangered the other two to death. I guess it is warm where they went.
Report Post »PlowMan
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 2:13pmJudge lest you be judged. We have no idea who these people were or anything about them. Even though we are on the web don’t be judging people. God is still watching.
Report Post »kaydeebeau
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 2:24pmuh plowman – stating the obvoius does not constitute judging and in any event there is such as thing as pointing out the obvious stupidity of actions – is it more “loving” to remind people of the folly of their actions (as in the consequences of stupid behaviour) or are we to blindly agree with anything and everything a stupid human wants to do? Ever heard of rigtheous judgment – apparently not… Alinsky-ite troll
Report Post »Beachmastermax
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 2:45pm@KD
When it comes to judging the disposition of souls, there is only one that has been given the title…”The one who is ready to judge”, and it is not you.
John 5:22 NAS
Report Post »“For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son,
DougHuffman
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 3:08pmThey are fools. If one cannot discriminate good from bad and cannot judge fools then all is lost. Mother Nature’s right hand man Darwin works in mysterious ways and it’s not wise to fool with Mother Nature.
I will be judged, I have faith. I am righteously forgiven by Grace and my faith in Grace. Words, works or deeds not required.
μολων λαβέ molṑn labé ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒE “From my cold, dead hands” works for me.
Report Post »Just_Us2
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 3:34pmIf you read the entire verse, it says: “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
If you use the bible as your standard and judge others using that standard AND if you believe the bible is the word of God AND if you believe the word became flesh in the form of Jesus THEN you can use the bible as the standard to measure yourself and others by and it no longer is you doing the judging, but Jesus.
So if the bible says, “Do not steal”…does that cover aircraft? The bible says, “Do not lie”, did they tell their parents they were going out to steal an airplane? Were they in obedience to the bible when they did this? It is not judging to call a theft stealing. It is not judging to say they were acting outside of God’s commands. I am not going to say these kids are burning in hell….but you cannot just spout that we are not to hold one another to accountable. This is why religion is so dysfunctional and why so many have no use for it. Do whatever you think is right and don’t dare judge me and don’t dare use the bible for correction…and you end up with anything goes. We do this with the bible, but we would never tell a cop who pulled us over for running a light not to, “judge” me. There is a standard, you violate it and get caught you pay.
The odds are more in favor of these kids burning than not…and that is biblical. The way to hell
Report Post »Beachmastermax
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 10:05pmJudging actions vs judging salvation are two different things. David was a murderer and an adulterer, but God says “he is a man after my own heart”. You gonna judge where he is at? Of course I judge peoples character, but I do not judge whether they will be saved or not. UNLESS, they tell me that they have never believed in Christ. But that would not be judging, that would be knowing.
The apostle Paul was a little mini-Hitler when he was Saul of Tarsus. Gotta idea where he is currently residing? You may be very suprised at who is in heaven, in fact, God’s word says you absolutely will.
Report Post »RJJinGadsden
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 2:03pmThat is the word we are hearing locally and they are stating it as a certainty. I do feel sorry for the families for their loss. But, I also wonder when the ambulance chasers will come out of the woodwork to sue the owner, airport, and Piper Aircraft?
Report Post »HelloWorld
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 2:03pmI guess taking the car for a joy ride just doesn’t cut it anymore.
Report Post »CALLMEMSGT
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 2:01pmLock up your plane and pocket the keys!!!!
Report Post »