He Broke The Law... But What Would You Have Done?

Late Saturday afternoon, Dr. Mark Lundell watched in horror as the airplane his son Jacob was flying went down as he practiced touch-and-go's at Casa Grande Municipal Airport. One of the victim's brothers also witnessed the accident.

No one can say what thoughts went through Lundell's mind -- or if he was even thinking rationally at all -- as the two men drove up to the wrecked 1961 Nord N320 (file photo of type, below) and removed Jacob's body from the cockpit. They then sped off, according to the Arizona Republic.

Casa Grande police officers responded to the scene within minutes, only to find the wreckage of an apparently fatal accident -- but no body. A witness told officers two men drove off with the victim in a red pickup truck.

When the witness asked the men if he should call 911, the older man said no, they could handle it, according to police.

Using the aircraft's N-number, Paradise Valley police found an address for the airplane's owner, and pulled up to the Lundells' home seconds before a red pickup pulled into the driveway. They were met by several other family members, including the victim's mother Deborah.

"They were all in shock," said Assistant Paradise Valley Police Chief Larry Scott.

By the time officers reached the body of Jacob Lundell, there was nothing they could do to save the 21-year-old. His body was taken to the Maricopa County Medical Examiner's Office for an autopsy.

The Lundells have five children, according to the Republic. Newspaper accounts indicate flying is in their veins, and the family has appeared in articles in connection with their love of airplanes.

In addition to the tragic loss of his son, Lundell now faces federal charges over the incident, including possible FAA violations for tampering with the scene of an accident and moving the body of a plane accident victim. There are also several state statutes that address such situations, including one stating a human body cannot be removed from the scene of a suspicious death unless a county medical examiner gives permission.

Authorities said the Nord was not registered, nor did Jacob Lundell have a PPL or a valid student certificate. Laws were apparently broken there, too, although the state AG's office would not comment on the matter, pending the outcome of an NTSB investigation.

Deborah Lundell told Phoenix's KTVK that her husband brought their son's body home because "he knew my grieving, he knew my heartache; he knew I needed to see him before they took him away."

"He may have legally not done the right thing, but morally he did the right thing," she added.

IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: 22532        Make/Model: EXP       Description: NORD N320
  Date: 10/23/2005     Time: 0000

  Event Type: Accident   Highest Injury: Fatal     Mid Air: N    Missing: N
  Damage: Unknown

LOCATION
  City: CASA GRANDE   State: AZ   Country: US

DESCRIPTION
  ACFT FOLLOWING TOUCH AND GOES, CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES 1/4 MILE
  SHORT OF THE RUNWAY, THE ONE PERSON ON BOARD WAS FATALLY INJURED, CASA
  GRANDE, AZ

INJURY DATA      Total Fatal:   1
                 # Crew:   1     Fat:   1     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Pass:   0     Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Grnd:         Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   

WEATHER: METAR CGZ 222355Z AUTO 27006KT 10SM CLR 29/06 A2982

OTHER DATA

  Departed:                             Dep Date:    Dep. Time:     
  Destination:                          Flt Plan:              Wx Briefing: 
  Last Radio Cont: 
  Last Clearance: 

  FAA FSDO: SCOTTSDALE, AZ  (WP07)                Entry date: 10/24/2005

FMI: www.ntsb.gov