Military Jet Jock, Airshow Pilot, All-Around-Great Aero-Guy

OK... we held this one for a bit because we plainly didn't believe it until we had some official verification.... but a true aviation legend has gone west...

Dale 'Snort' Snodgrass was lost in a GA accident at the Lewiston-Nez Perce County Regional Airport, about noon, Saturday.

Flying a single-engine turbo-prop SIAI-Marchetti SM 1019B, something of a Bird-Dog with a turbine engine, the aircraft departed the runway about noon Saturday and went down shortly after departure. Local sources report that the high-wing bird went down in a nearby field and caught fire after impacting a short way from the airport’s taxiway Charlie, according to a report from Lewiston FD's Chief Travis Myklebust.

Snodgrass was the only person on board the aircraft and reportedly did not survive the impact and post-crash fire.

Dale's history as an F-14 pilot and some of his exploits are a regular part of stories told of great aviators and his subsequent work in the airshow industry, for which he has been a part of over 800 performances as well as being a designated Heritage Flight aviator, have added to a legend that has grown to be pretty considerable.

The late Captain Snodgrass most recently served as Draken International’s Chief Pilot.

Recent social media posts made by Snodgrass lauded the fun he was having with the SIAI Marchetti SM 1019B -- a bird he seemed quite impressed with.

The SM1019 was originally conceived for an Italian Army requirement for a STOL liaison bird and the 1019B had as much as 400HP to play with. SIAI-Marchetti modified a Cessna 305A/O-1 Bird Dog to include an Allison turboprop engine and a modified tail configuration.

The loss to the aviation community, with his passing, is considerable...

Nickel on the grass...

FMI: www.facebook.com/dale.s.snodgrass