Witnesses Reported Engine Problems Immediately After Takeoff

Two highly-experienced pilots, one a retired airline captain and the other the manager of a local FBO, were fatally injured Saturday when the Beech T-34 they were flying went down just after takeoff from Wings Field (96FL) in Williston, FL.

In a news release, the Levy County, FL, Sheriff's Office reported that the aircraft was a 1956 Beechcraft T-34. The aircraft was registered to Ralph Ken Terry from Daytona Beach, Florida. The deceased were identified as passenger Ralph Terry and pilot Mike Fuller from Port Orange, Florida. Mr. Terry was retired from Northwest Airlines with approximately 30 years of service. Mr. Fuller was a manager at Yelvington Aviation in Daytona Beach, FL.

A witness with over 50 years as a pilot advised that the aircraft taxied down the Wings Field private air strip shortly after 1630 EDT. The witness stated as soon as the airplane took off he heard the airplane spit & sputter and then watched it crash into a heavily wooded area just north of the air strip.

On November 6, 2001 the Levy County Sheriff's Office officially  transferred the investigation to the FAA and the NTSB. (Levy County, FL Sheriff's Office photo)

FMI: www.ntsb.gov, www.faa.gov