St. Louis Post-Dispatch from St. Louis, Missouri • Page 54

6 ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH EXTRA TUESDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2000 postnet.comnews I Governor Mel Carnahan: 1934-2000 Handy Carnahan was flying plane under instilment flight rales Mt Radio messages indicate he might have become disoriented, expert says 7:06 p.m. Gov. Mel Carnahan's Cessna leaves St. Louis Parks Airport POST-DISPATCH FILE PHOTO Chris Sifford, 37, was a senior adviser to the governor and came from a family steeped in Democratic politics.

Chris Sifford loved politics and never forgot his days as a reporter 0 7:30 p.m. Witnesses report seeing a low-flying plane and several minutes later said they heard a plane crash and explosions 7:33 p.m. Radar loses contact with the plane Carnahan's plane crashes near Barnhart in Jefferson County. All three men on board were killed AREA OF DETAIL Arnold' Barnhart a Pevely 0 Festus Hillsbwo JEFFERSON COUNTY rv 155; 67 Site of crash (jo) -7 The plane was believed to have left Parks airport about 7 p.m. Monday.

Gary Driggers, chief operating officer of Midcoast Aviation at the Cahokia airport, said the plane took on about 30 gallons of standard aviation fuel to top off its tank. "It took on a very small amount, which is normal when the weather is bad," Driggers said. Pilots flying under instrument flight rule conditions are required to take on enough fuel to make their destination in addition to reaching any alternate sites plus an additional 45 minutes. The plane was flying at 6,500 feet when Randy Carnahan apparently reported he had a problem with the artificial horizon, an instrument that tells a pilot whether the plane is level to the ground. The plane later disappeared from the radar screen at the Tracon, the approach control center located at Lambert Field.

The crash occurred at 7:32 p.m., Cory said. Paul Czysz, a professor of aerospace engineering at Parks College of Engineering at St. Louis University, said early evidence and witness accounts led him to suspect engine problems. He based his conclusion on the facts that the Missouri Highway Patrol had found an engine cylinder away from the crash scene and that a witness said the engines had sounded as if they were "screaming." But the report of a problem with the plane's artificial horizon may point to the pilot becoming disoriented in the heavy rain and dark of night, conditions Czysz described as "zero-zero." Czysz said the "gyro" is an instrument that rarely fails. "It could be a cascade of tragic events that made it more and more difficult for him to recover unless he was a very, very experienced pilot," said Czysz, who has investigated accidents.

Cory said today that Randy Carnahan was an instrument-rated pilot with a current second-class medical certificate and a commercial pilot certificate. He had no accidents or incidents on his record. Records show he wore corrective lenses, Cory said. Dawn Fallik of the Post-Dispatch staff contributed information for this article. To contact reporter Ken Leiser: E-mail: kleiserpostnet.com Phone: 314-340-8119 By Ken Leiser Of the Post-Dispatch The twin-engine aircraft used Monday by Gov.

Mel Carnahan took on about 30 gallons of fuel at St. Louis Downtown Parks Airport in Cahokia for a flight to New Madrid, Mo. It was a relatively small amount of fuel but standard for an instrument flight plan in bad weather. A short time later, something went terribly wrong. Randy Carnahan, the governor's son, was flying the Cessna 335 under instrument flight rules, said Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Elizabeth Isham Cory.

The plane was carrying both Carna-hans and Chris Sifford, Carnahan's former chief of staff. Just before the plane went down in a rural area of Jefferson County, the pilot radioed approach controllers at St. Louis that he was having a "gyro problem," or gyroscope, an indication that he may have become disoriented, one aviation expert said Tuesday. The twin piston-engine aircraft was one of just 65 manufactured by Cessna in the 335's only year of production, 1980, said Jennifer Whitlow, spokeswoman for the airplane manufacturer in Wichita, Kan. It was introduced to replace the Cessna 310.

In fact, early news accounts of the crash mistakenly reported that the downed plane was a Cessna 310. Whitlow said the 335 a six-seat aircraft often used for corporate and charter flights was discontinued because a "severe downturn" in the light plane market that forced Cessna to discontinue production of piston-powered aircraft, "It wasn't performance," she said. "We just didn't position it correctly to be able to sell it in the market." The plane was owned by the Carnahans' Rolla law firm of Carnahan Hickle Calvert and had never been involved in an accident before, records and interviews show. Partners at the law firm did not return a reporter's phone call today. Cessna had no records on the aircraft's performance since 1980, Whitlow said.

The Nation- ffl By Carolyn Tuft Of the Post-Dispatch Just like his boss, Gov. Mel Carnahan, Chris Sifford devoted his life to Democratic politics. Sifford, 37, was killed Monday in a plane crash with the governor and his son, Randy Carnahan. Sifford began his career in journalism. He worked for seven years as Carnahan's spokesman until he was appointed chief of staff last year.

In July, he resigned that post to work as a Senior adviser for Carnahan's bid to unseat U.S. Sen. John Ashcroft, R-Mo. Journalists regarded Sifford as a man always close to what was going on in the state Capitol, who never failed to answer a reporter's questions and who was never known to lie. While Sifford joined the ranks of politics, they said, he never forgot what it was like to be a journalist.

Sifford's mother, the late Margaret Anne Sifford, served many years as a Democratic committee member. His aunt was the circuit clerk in Stoddard County. Sifford, a bachelor, was born in Puxico, Mo. At 9, he helped to make George McGovern, the Democrat running for president in 1972, the top vote-getter in Sifford's third-grade class. He never lost sight of his love for politics.

That may have come from his heritage. Both of his great-great-great grandfathers were killed side-by-side in the Civil War by Yankee bushwackers. "That's what made us so strong of Democrats," said Sifford's father, Dale Sifford, when his son was pro Destination: A Democratic fund-raiser in New Madrid The Cessna took off in rain and fog. The ceiling was 600 to 800 feet with visibility of less than two miles. Horsepower: 300 Top speed: 230 knots Cruise speed: 215 knots Stall speed: 71 knots Gross weight: 5,990 pounds Empty weight: 3,963 pounds Fuel capacity: 102 gallons Rate of climb: 1,400 feetminute Ceiling: 26,800 feet have been eight accidents involving the Cessna 335, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.

The last was in March 1993. Mechanical error: The pilot of the Cessna 335 reported a gyroscope problem shortly before radar lost contact with the plane. A gyro helps a pilot with basic orientation and sense of horizon level from upside down, turn from straight, climb from descent. POST-DISPATCH Governor's son enjoyed traveling with father, living on family farm moted to Carnahan's chief of staff. Sifford was known to return to Puxico once a month to see his father, brother and other relatives in the town of 833 people in southeast Missouri.

Sifford grew up with Carna han's current chief of staff, Roy Temple. The two lived four houses apart and attended junior college together. They wound up working together in 1986 during farmer Wayne Cryts unsuccessful congressional campaign. Attending the National Governors Association meeting in 1993, both managed to sneak away to call their parents in Puxico from the White House. "Sometimes people in politics can get caught up in egos," Temple had said.

"Chris has an enormous talent to disarm people. Anybody who ever met him likes him be cause he's easygoing, but there's also a lot of substance to him." When Sifford left his job as Carnahan's chief of staff in July to join the campaign at Carnahan's request Carnahan's confi dence on the campaign trail soared. Sifford was always by the governor's side. "Chris was clearly somebody the governor had utmost confidence in," said Tony Wyche, Carnahan's campaign spokesman, who also was close friends with Sifford. "Chris was top-notch, professionally and personally." Jo Mannies of the Post-Dispatch staff and The Associated Press contributed information for this story.

To contact reporter Carolyn Tuft: E-mail: ctuftpostnet.com Phone: 314-340-8105 be seen standing quietly in the background while his father spoke awaiting the signal of when it was time to go. "Randy was just a truly genuine human being," said Tony Wyche, Carnahan's campaign Randy Carnahan Usually flew father to campaign events director. "An earnest person who was dedicated to helping his father. He really enjoyed traveling with him." The Carnahan home in Rolla is filled with artifacts and souvenirs that Randy collected during his travels around the world. The family often pointed to a huge rug in the family room that Randy had folded up, put in a knapsack and carried through the Himalayas to bring home.

Randy Carnahan was single. Committee for six years in the late 1980s. In that post, he played a key role in shaping the state budget. He served in the state Senate from 1979 to 1993, when he became lieutenant governor. Wilson was considered one of education's top supporters in the Legislature.

He sponsored the Excellence in Education Act of 1985, which raised teacher salaries, and required more student testing. A former school administrator, Wilson has a master's degree in education from the University of Missouri at Columbia. On Tuesday, Wilson said education was Carnahan's legacy his "crown jewel. We were not in good shape" when Carnahan took over as governor, but he increased funding and demanded more accountability. In getting into politics, Wilson followed family tradition.

He succeeded his father as Boone County collector in 1976. Wilson's grandfather had been Boone County sheriff; he and a state irooper were killed by bank in 1933. al Transportation Safety Board was at the accident scene today but had not released any information on the accident. From 1981 to present, there much want the debate scheduled for tonight to go on," she said. "We are honored that it is being held in the state that Mel, Randy and Chris loved so much." The format will be changed slightly to allow the two candidates and the moderator, Jim Lehrer, to make brief statements about Carnahan at the beginning of the debate.

Officials said they believed the governor, who had a long career in public service, would not have wanted the debate to be "It seems to us that it is totally supportive of Governor Carnahan's career to go forward in his honor," saidianet Brown, executive directo- of the Com Jefferson County Sheriff Oliver "Glenn" Boyer prepares to answer questions today at an impromptu press conference outside the Goldman Fire Department. A plane carrying Gov. Mel Carnahan crashed nearly two miles from the Goldman Fire Department. sadness about the governor's death and expressed their condolences to the families of Carnahan and Chris Sifford, the aide who was also killed in the crash. "This is a sad day, a day of mourning," said Mark Wrighton, chancellor of Washington University.

"Our hearts go out to the Carnahan and Sifford families There is a sense of loss among our team, but we are prepared to go forward." Brown said the mood among the debate staff and volunteers was "somber but committed." To contact reporter Deirdre Shesgreen: E-mail: dshegreenpo8tnet.coisi Phone: '202-298-6880 ERIK M. LUNSFORDPOST-DISPATCH By Bill Bell Jr. Post-Dispatch Jefferson City Bureau Even though Roger "Randy" Carnahan was a lawyer, his father believed his son's reai love was for the family farm near Rolla. The governor said he thought "Randy was an attorney so he could make money to play farmer," said Jerry Nachtigal, Gov. Mel Carnahan's spokesman.

The family's farm in Rolla, where Randy lived, is home to 30 or 40 head of cattle. "Randy just loved to chase after the cattle and play farmer," Nachtigal said Tuesday. "I think the governor kind of enjoyed it too." Randy Carnahan, his father and Chris Sifford, his father's campaign strategist, were killed in a plane crash Monday night in Jefferson County.1 Randy Carnahan, 44, was the pilot of the plane. He usually flew his father to his campaign events across the state, and often could Wilson Wilson is thrust into role he once sought Continued from Page 1 Wilson said he would perform the governor's duties until January, then "step back out of politics." Wilson smiled briefly as he tried to tell reporters one of his favorite stories about Carnahan but midway through it, he forgot the punch line. The strain of the last 11 hours had taken its toll on the usually ebullient politician.

The recent string of events has "a surreal quality to it, a very numbing quality," he said. Always quick with a quote and combative with Republican governors, Wilson made the most headlines when be chairedMie Senate Appropriations After consultation, Bush and Gore agree the debate should go on mission on Presidential Debates. Brown noted that the debate, which is a town hall format, will feature citizens of Missouri, and she said she believes the governor would have wanted them to have a chance to engage in "the ultimate engagement of the civic process." She said commission officials consulted with Carnahan's St. Louis staff and asked that the decision be relayed to his family. "There was very quick agreement" among the parties that the debate should go forward, Brown said.

"This is an important national event. Brown and other! expressed By Deirdke Shesgreen Post-Dispatch Washington Bureau The third and final presiden tial debate will be held as scheduled tonight at Washington University despite the death of Gov. Mel Carnahan, officials said this morning. Debate officials decided to move forward with the event af ter early morning consultations with the presidential campaigns of Al Gore and George W. Bush, the Democratic and Republican nominees.

Carnahan wife, Jean Carna han, said she approved of the decision. "Because my husband cher ished our ijemocracy and its expression, he would very.