Airfield Security: Car Crash while Racing at Airfield

[the_other_dougreeves]

From Aero-News Net:

Car Speeds Off FL Airpark Runway, Five Killed

Mon, 28 Jan '08
Details Sketchy On Incident At Jumbolair

Speeding down the runway at a private Florida airport community had tragic consequences for the five people inside a BMW, after the car ran off an embankment and flew 200 feet before impacting a tree.

The accident occurred early Saturday at Greystone Airport/Jumbolair Aviation Estates (FL17) near Ocala, reports to The Associated Press. All five men inside the car were killed, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

It was not immediately known whether the 2008 BMW may have been racing a second automobile on the exclusive community's 7,550' runway (shown above). Residents say the vehicle may have gained access to the runway through an unlocked back gate.

The automobile apparently ran off the 85-foot-high embankment at the end of the runway. The car split in two when it hit the tree, ejecting three of the occupants.

"Portions of the vehicle were actually embedded into the oak tree," FHP Lieutenant Mike Burroughs told The Orlando Sentinel. "They were airborne the entire time.

"It's too early in the investigation to determine a speed and also to determine whether seat belts were in use at the time of the crash," Burroughs said, adding "There was no visible signs" that alcohol was involved.

The FHP identified the victims Sunday as driver Joshua D. Ammirato, 18; James Devon Hime, 19; Isaac Rubin, 20; Jacob J. Casey, 19; and Dustin J. Dawe, who had just celebrated his 19th birthday on Friday.

Jumbolair is arguably best-known for one of its residents, actor John Travolta, who also keeps his private Boeing 707 at the airport.

[Flyguytki]

Sad part is he had to kill 4 others...........

[Mike S]

Real sad part is he was on an airport.

News flash--------"Keep our kids safe, close airports"

[bsacks05]

I have seen that embankment at Jumbleair. It is concrete and slopes up just like some sort of ramp at the end of a very long runway. I guess this incident was just waiting to happen.
Oh, and I just realized that when we were there we just drove onto the property through the open main gate. No security in sight.

[flyeyes]

Another sobering aspect can be found here where the young driver was apparently a participant on a message board like this one.

I participate on the COPA (Cirrus) website as well as here, and the interesting observation has been made that COPA members, although they are a probably a majority of Cirrus pilots, are only involved in something like 5% of the known incidents/accidents.

A similar trend was noticed years ago with the American Yankee Association, IIRC.

Community standards, even virtual ones, really can alter behavior, although in this case it appears to have been too little, too late.

[lightning]

Originally Posted by M5DAL

This is such a tragedy. I am very upset by this.

Why was he allowed to drive it on a #$!@*% runway at 3AM? Maybe some of the authorites might like to answer that.

Out on the road he could have taken his chances. We cant do much about that. We can control other environments though.

These cars are not designed for airstrips. Planes are for that."

it's a terrible tragedy that 5 young men had to die, because 1 irresponsible parent deems it OK to buy his 18 year old son a 500hp sports car to keep up his image. and that kid thinks it's somehow OK to break into an airfield and try to hit top speed WITH 4 OTHER PEOPLE IN THE CAR..

i admire the fact that he sought out a strip of asphalt that would be empty, as opposed to trying that stupidity on the open road, but an unfamiliar unlit airstrip that you don't even know how long it is, or how quickly that strip would run out at those 100+mph speeds.... c'mon.

my prayers are with the families and friends of the young men who perished in that fantastic act of macho stupidity.

as someone who works for Younglife, and therefore is constantly working with highschool aged kids, i know that "macho" feeling of "hey, check this out" all to well.. and i know (first hand) how devastating this kind of tragedy can be to the families, as well as the friends..

PARENTS PLEASE EDUCATE YOUR KIDS ON THE CONSEQUENCES OF THEIR CHOICES.

and pilots, please educate your acquaintances on the joys and benefits of local airports and private airparks!!

[lightning]

Originally Posted by flyeyes

Community standards, even virtual ones, really can alter behavior, although in this case it appears to have been too little, too late.

i read thru that whole thread, and all of AmericanM5's post's.. (americanM5 is Josh, the driver of that car)

most of the other users maturely cautioned him about being 18 and owning/operating a 500hp monster.. he responded, as you would expect an 18 year old to respond, but apparently didn't heed their warnings.

to be honest, i don't think there is to much more they could have said to prevent him from his death that night..

he was a member of the forum for only 6 days total, his last post was 1 day and a few hours before the accident..

[RBD]

Originally Posted by imac

i read thru that whole thread, and all of AmericanM5's post's.. (americanM5 is Josh, the driver of that car)

most of the other users maturely cautioned him about being 18 and owning/operating a 500hp monster.. he responded, as you would expect an 18 year old to respond, but apparently didn't heed their warnings.

to be honest, i don't think there is to much more they could have said to prevent him from his death that night..

he was a member of the forum for only 6 days total, his last post was 1 day and a few hours before the accident..

I think this is the post that you are speaking of:

Originally Posted by AmericanM5

"M5froth I completley understand where you are coming from assuming that I am irresponsible..that is definetly understandable. I do sometimes make bad decisions but I am young and I do drive safe and I will not endanger the lives of others..and I hope you are not under the impression that I am the one to brag, I have never been that way and never will. Plus I will have pictures up asap with me in the pictures. I have no reason to lie buddy.

If only it were true. So sad.

[lightning]

that's the one... only i think you captured his emotions better than i did.

Originally Posted by americanM5

i will not endanger the lives of others

that is very humbling to me, cause a few years back that should've been me.. when i used to stunt motorcycles..



i hope that the reverberations of this tragedy do not end as quickly as these young men's lives did.. i hope that their untimely deaths can profoundly impact other youths who are into the street racing/car-modding scene. and give them a true sense of what it really means to be safe

[Ron Lee]

I am glad that he did not do this on a public street where he could have killed an entire family (ies).