RV-10 Accident

[Dgamble]

Early press account:

http://www.10tv.com/content/stories/...-injuries.html

Another press account:

http://www.mariettatimes.com/page/co....html?nav=5002

Another update:

http://www.mariettatimes.com/page/co....html?nav=5002

[N8RV]

Our thoughts and prayers go out to both of them and their families.

[Bob Martin]

Cut from News Article:
"MARIETTA, Ohio - Two people were airlifted to The Ohio State University Medical Center in Columbus after their homemade plane crashed on Tuesday night.

The plane crashed shortly after 7 p.m. about 200 yards from state Route 7, 10TV's Shayla Reaves reported.

Police said that the pilot was Nicholas Austin, 24, of Frederiskburg, Texas and the co-pilot was Richard Gray, 54, of Vincent, Ohio.

Officials said their RV-10 aircraft had just taken off from the Wood County Airport in West Virginia for a test flight when it crashed.

The two men were being treated for serious injuries.

Stay with 10TV News and 10TV.com for more information."
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From Second link:
Plane down; no fatalities
‘It just seemed to spin and then dropped’

Two people were reportedly injured but able to walk away from a small plane crash near the Eramet Marietta facility along Ohio 7 south of Marietta Tuesday evening.

The accident occurred around 7 p.m. in a wooded area of Eramet property located across from the plant, between the highway and the Ohio River, according to Eramet spokeswoman Joy Frank-Collins. Spectators and media at the scene were asked to leave the Eramet-owned property shortly after the crash.

"From what we know it appears the plane landed in a brushy area surrounded by trees on property that's not in current use," Frank-Collins said. "It also appears there were no fatalities, for which we are grateful."

Witnesses at the scene said a pilot and passenger were able to get out of the wreckage before rescue units arrived.

Several youths from Williamstown, were driving north along Ohio 7 from Belpre when they saw the plane fall from the sky.

"It just seemed to spin and then dropped," said Zack Zide, of Williamstown. "Then we saw the smoke and turned around."

He said the pilot and a passenger were out of the plane when they got there but both had suffered burns.

Nick Gibson and Zach Bowes, both of Warren Township, were deer hunting near the crash site when the plane went down.

"We heard a loud boom-it was almost thunderous and shook the woods," Gibson said. "We looked up and saw a little black trail of smoke and the plane was swerving, then we lost sight of it."

"In about two seconds we heard a loud thud when it landed," Bowes added.

They immediately called 911 and reported the crash.

The pilot and passenger, whose names were not available at press time, were transported to Marietta Memorial Hospital.

Troopers from the Ohio Highway Patrol's Marietta Post are investigating the incident. Deputies from the Washington County Sheriff's Office also responded. Information on where the plane was headed or what caused the crash was not yet available late Tuesday.

Frank-Collins said first responders to the crash came from the Eramet facility, followed shortly by fire and rescue units from the Warren Township Volunteer Fire Department.

"We have plans in place for just this type of situation,and those plans have worked as we mapped them," she said.
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Plane that crashed ran into trouble shortly after takeoff
September 29, 2011
A Vincent man who has won several awards for plane-building was listed as the co-pilot of a small homemade single-engine RV 10 airplane that crashed in a brushy area along Ohio 7 near the Eramet Marietta plant Tuesday evening.

According to a report from the Ohio State Highway Patrol's Marietta post, Richard Gray, 55, was co-piloting the aircraft for pilot Nicholas Austin of Old Fredericksburg, Texas.

Gray runs Ohio Valley RVators Builder Assistance at the Mid-Ohio Valley Regional Airport, a finishing business for the homemade RV planes.

"His quality of work is off the page and he's well-known by RV builders across the country," said Terry Moore, manager at the Mid-Ohio Valley Airport.

Moore said both Gray and Austin were experienced pilots.

They had apparently flown the RV 10 more than once on Tuesday.

"Our logs show we fueled the plane twice yesterday," Moore said on Wednesday.

He said airport personnel reported the plane was in the air for only a few minutes before the pilot called in on the radio.

Investigators reported the plane took off from the Mid Ohio Valley Regional Airport at approximately 6:55 p.m. and crashed at 7:12 p.m.

"He told the tower that he had some problems and then said he didn't think they would be able to make it back to the airfield," Moore said, adding that the control tower called 911 right away.

"I'm sure the pilot had to make some quick decisions on where to land the plane," he said.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol reported the plane caught fire during the crash and both men received serious burns. They were reportedly transported to Marietta Memorial Hospital and later flown by Life Flight to The Ohio State University Medical Center in Columbus.

An OSU Medical Center spokesperson said Wednesday afternoon that Austin was listed in fair condition but Gray's condition is not known as he was not logged as a patient in the hospital system.

After the crash Austin told police he had heard a noise and then lost control during the flight. Witnesses reported hearing a loud boom and seeing a wisp of smoke emanating from the plane seconds before it crashed in a brush-covered area about 200 yards from Ohio 7.Police said the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration were notified.

FAA officials were investigating the scene Wednesday.

Fire and rescue units from the Warren Township Volunteer Fire Department and the Washington County Sheriff's Office, as well as an emergency crew from Eramet, also responded.

The crash occurred on a vacant piece of Eramet property between Ohio 7 and the Ohio River.

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Rick Gray is a friend of mine and one of our own here in the RV world.
May God Bless him and Mr Austin in their hour of need and hope they make a full recovery.

[Phil]

I was thinking that might have been Rick. Our prayers go out to them for a speedy recovery...

[Mike S]

I just talked to Rick yesterday, right before this happened apparently.

He was just finishing up the testing of a new 10 that was going to be picked up and flown to Texas for paint, then on to South America (IIRC) to its new owner.

Prayers going out for them.

[Bavafa]

Wish for their fast and full recovery.

[WhiskeyMike]

Prayers for a full and speedy recovery go out for both Rick and Nicholas.

Does anyone have an update as to their conditions?

[Geico266]

Stunning and sickening news.

Rick Gray is a "one of a kind" RV builder and an all around great guy to know.

Post when you can Rick! Here is to a speedy recovery!

Here is a link to his web site.
http://rv6rick.tripod.com/ohiovalleyrvators/id22.html

[panhandler1956]

Dreadful news! Our thouhts and prayers go out to them for a speedy recovery.

[LettersFromFlyoverCountry]

Originally Posted by Geico266

Stunning and sicken news.

Rick Gray is a "one of a kind" RV builder and an all around great guy to know.

Post when you can Rick! Here is to a speedy recovery!

Here is a link to his web site.
http://rv6rick.tripod.com/ohiovalleyrvators/id22.html

I did an interview with Rick a few years ago that I think really think reflected his enthusiasm and expertise. I've never met him in person and I'm confident I will someday, but, to me, he's one of those RV builders that's just on a different level than most of us.

This is one of those accidents that make me think, "man, if it can happen to him..."