Poughkeepsie Journal from Poughkeepsie, New York • Page 12

ijtrr rvrr wppwi r. fo PoutM piU Journol Wednttdoy, March 17, 1976 Plane, From Pago 1 landing under difficult circumstances. The area where he brought the plane down had just been cleared of trees four weeks ago If this had happened a month ago there would have been a serious disaster. The snow on the ground served tho same as if the area had been foamed tor the landing The soft ground and heavy snow cover were fortunate. And then there was the quick thinking fcf Ken Davidson who was out there a minute after the plane went down." The crash occurred during a snow itorm At the time of the accident a "combination of snow and freezing rain Was falling "The airport was open then as It had been all day," said Howes.

"At the time of the accident visibility was above minimum requirements. There tyas no need to close the airport." PaSSOnger From Page 1 State police, New Hackensack firemen and the Sloper Willen Ambulance Service were dispatched to the scene of the crash. Command Airways officials wero not avallablo for comment this morning. They were meeting with FAA and safety board representatives Charles Daviess, an airways spokesman, said hours after the crash that the flight had been delayed by bad weather for an hour and a half. The plane was enroute to Kennedy Airport.

He said it was the first passenger injury accident In Comma nd Airway's eight year history. Tuesday's accident was the second crash for Command Airways. Three pilots were killed as tho result of a plane crash In the Village of Wap pingers Falls Feb. 9. 1968.

The Piper rlrborne. He must have realized there Vas a problem because he was gunning it. I didn't realize we wero going down until we were over tho Dread (Route 376) and then it started to rock back and forth. There no in pie cabin. It all happened so quick." Wolek credits pilot Capt.

Robert Albright with an excellent job In landing the piano, It came dowa in a Ully field on a slight incline. "It was pretty jocky stumpy wound," said Wolek. "All the seats fooke loose whentwe landed, I heard Somebody say 'Stay calm, just get out bf the I was the last one out. I J6st my glasses and I was looking for 4hem because I can't see a thing Vithout them. They were worried about the plane burning but there was jib fire.

It was smoldering a bit. A guy irove over from the airport and sprayed the plane just before a fire would have started. I remember how Pilot From Pago 1 Mestlcr's close friend and roommate, was in the intensive care unit with what one nurse said was a partial pneumo thorax She translated that as a collapsed lung caused by a rib fracture. "I've talked with Ron and he's all right," Mestler said In a voice choked with concern. "Everybody was roally lucky to walk away.

The plane is a total wreck." The young pilot said he was at the operations center preparing to fly the next commuter run to JFK when he stepped outside to watch his colleagues takeoff. Mestler said wo took off and a guy near me was" joking and saying 'Come on, get up' as we went down the runway, Wo finally got up but it turned out not to bo for long' Wolek, when he got safely out of the plane, could see the piano had skidded along tho ground for about 100 feet, he said. "The baggage compartment on the Underside of the plane had been knocked off he said. "Baggage was strewn behind the plane along tho ground." The pilot and co pilot were whisked away to St. Francis Hospital while the passengers were returned to the airport.

Soon, they were on their way to the same hospital. Three of tho seven passengers refused medical assistance. Wolek was treated for a cut on his left hand. Other than the cut and a few "bangs and bruises" he was In good shape. despite the snowstorm whipping the area the visibility factor was beyond the mile or more limit commonly used as a weather guideline.

"Everything looked good, ho said, "then suddenly, without warning the plane went down." Mestler said he had no idea what caused the crash, but from his professional training It was evident Albright "had fought a fierce battle and won "There was just no other place he could have landed without even more serious consequences, he said. "There are hilts all around that Aztec airplane crashed! Into trees near the village police station in Mcsler Park, plunged Into East Main Street and hit a parked cor. That plane went down at 4 29 m. on a day when five Inches of snow fell. Flight 19 went down at 4:21 m.

Six inches of snow fell Tuesday. Command Airways could not Crovide the names of the passengers ut state police provided the following In addition to the pilot and co pilot the piano was carrying Leonard Wolek, S. Cross Road, LaGrangeville, Stanley Zlimcrj Rockville, Mark Sovik, Old Glenham Road, Glenham; Harold Holmes, Memory Lane, Town of Poughkccpsie; Elwood Rellly, J. Eckleman and a Mr. Frith.

Command resumed a normal flight schedule this morning. Wolek said: he telephoned' his wifo about 5: IS pm. "I told her the flight had been slightly delayed," he said. "We'd been debating about whether tho flight would bo cancelled because of the weather before I went out to the airport, Out I told her it was delayed because It had crashed." It was Wolek's first flight on a prop plane. "I never had an experience anything like that before," he said.

''But don't have a fear of flying now, My luggage was damaged but if it was Intact' I'd leave tomorrow (Wednesday.) It's just one of those things that happens. It wasnt really that bad, it was just an experience. I have nothing but praise for the pilot. Out I don't even want to think about what would have happened If wo had reached a higher altitude." stayed with i cool, picked his spot and brought it down." By keeping the landing gear down, Mestler said, Albright was able to reduce the shock when tho plane bellied in to the field, skidded into an upslope1 and jerked to a stop. School From Pago 1 an employe of a tow truck firm from Millerton, called to remove the bus from the field, was hurt quite seriously when a cable broke and part of it hit his face.

Clayton Cook, 50, Millerton, was taken to Sharon Hospital where he was admitted for treatment. He was reported In good condition today by the hospital. State police at Washington Hollow said the driver of the, car which hit the utility pole on Route 343 at Altamont Road was Mark Edelman. No age or address was available at press time. The northern part or the county apparently bore the brunt of the storm, a fast moving one according to Flectwcathcr, which already Is over Nova Scotia.

In the Rblnebeck area, the snowfall totaled 8 Inches while it was about 3 to 4 in the southern part of the county and at the county airport. County Public Works, Commissioner Jpmes Spratt said no particular problems were posed by the storm, only four days before spring, but It was necessary to send" plow; out In the afternoon and night to keep roads open, "This storm wiped us out," said Spratt, speaking of the county department's financial condition. He said the county still has about $100,000 or a $363,000 budget for 1976 left, but alt of. this Is allocated for materials. Sale March 18 19 20 Mello Crisp BACON L09 Large Grade A EGGS en oo Nabisco OREO 75C Cookies We mm fcf rh km wimitin 15 oz.

Cranberry and Cranberry Apple Juice Cocktail 49 UV gallon 1 ICE CREAM FLAVOR OF THE MONTH Chocolate Chip half gaon 99 Drakes YODELS 69C 9 oz. i dkktvbti leaving nothing for personal services. Town of Poughkecpsle Highway Superintendent Stanley Still said he had few problems, but1 the' difficult' time was Tuesday afternoon when the storm was at its worst and many people were on their way home from work. Tore Jakobsen of Flectwcathcr, a weather forecasting firm with an office In the Wlccopee area, said the storm was one of the worst of the NO TCIX, From Pago 1 'i winter and brings the total snowfall of the 1975 76 season to 46 inches, about double the amount which his fallen In i Dutchess County In any of the last four or five years. However, he ad ded.

this Is about a "normal" snowfall total. He forecast "an Important ot! rain or snow about April 1, possibly' occurring as soon as March 31, but this should wind it up for the season, he said. will, get $189 million In stato aid, down from $255.2 million this year. Except for the door breaxlng incident, the demonstration, was generally peaceful, if noisy, and then protestors left at about 5 pm. Uut their presence led security guards to spirit Carey out of the Capitol through back offices, and forced a delay In the Senate and Assembly sessions on the budget, which were to have begun at 10 a until after nightfall.

By the time the sessions gPt underway, however, a new controversy had arisen over protests from Special Prosecutor Charles Hynes that the legislature had cut some 100 auditors he wanted to help in his investigations of fraud in the urgingmore industry. Ke issue was charged with ical tension because some InnlelstAra hAV4 hn nrObed In the Investigations, and Assembly leaders had to take some time out to quell a brief rankand file effort to restore the money for Hynes auditors. The budget as drafted docs provide for 120 new auditors to work both with Hynes and In scrutiny of current mcdlcaid reimbursements claims filed nursing homes. Included In the package of budget' bills was a 31 page rushptTnt Itemlwhipped up in the post midnight hours to Incorporperate a few minor, lastmlnute deals between the i legislature and the governorV Restored, for example, cut from the Budget Division lnd $200,000 cut from Carey's Executive Chamber normally sacrosanct areijs, THIS COUPON IS GOOD FOR 40.UUONANY SERTAPED1C MATTRESS Stl faoU until March 31, 1W6) TiriririV ftnA llnHrare Alnnnl 'll on muin i "And its a good thing the plane was sufficient altitude it could have airborne," Mestler said "Without crashed into a blast fence at the end of the runway. Mestler said his flight was cancelled.

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