Pair Identified As Employees Of Rocket Engineering

Two men who were fatally injured late last week when the PA-46 they were flying went down in the Spokane (WA) River were employees of Rocket Engineering, according to the Spokane Spokesman-Review.

The two were identified at Richard Runyon, 64, and Lyndon Amestoy, 60. Runyon was Rocket Engineering's test pilot, and a U.S. Air Force veteran. Amestoy was also a licensed pilot and worked as a customer support manager, according to a statement released Monday by Rocket Engineering.

The Piper Malibu had undergone an unspecified modification, and was on a test flight that the company described as "a routine FAA inspection."

Rocket Engineering specializes in aircraft modifications under STC, and it has performed some 600 conversions since 1990.

The Associated Press indicated that the two had reported engine problems aboard the aircraft, which is registered to Flying Colors Aviation in Woodland Hills, CA. Television station KREM reported that the pilots were attempting an emergency landing at Felts Field when the plane went down in the Spokane River. It quickly sank with both aboard, and divers were unable to recover them for about 30 minutes.

The Spokesman-Review reported that one of the men had been rushed to Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center. It was not reported which man was piloting the aircraft at the time of the accident.

(Piper Malibu image from file. Not accident aircraft)

FMI: www.ntsb.gov