Former Mooney Worker Killed In Texas Mishap

It was sad enough to note the crash of a Mooney M-20J (file photo of type, below) in Olney (TX) last week. But it's even sadder for aviation as a whole when you realize who was on board.

The copilot on that flight was Joel Smith, a flyer for more than four decades. Smith was also an integral part of the Mooney Corporation for 26 years. He had just joined Don Maxwell Aviation in Gladewater (TX) a month earlier.

Also killed in last week's accident were Max Rae, 65, of Longview (TX), and David Hancock, 38, of Gladewater (TX).

"He was very knowledgeable about the airplane," said Mooney co-worker Karen Grobe, who began working alongside Smith in Mooney's quality assurance department in 1977. He was a test pilot and in charge of the flight line, she said. Grobe was interviewed by the Kerrville Daily Times.

Smith had hands-on experience with almost every aircraft Mooney produced during his tenure with the company, Grobe said. "He knew just about everything there was to know about Mooneys. He was the pilot who gave my daughter her first ride in a Mooney. He was a very good pilot. We're going to miss him."

"People are obviously shaken over his death," said Kerrville Aviation owner Joe Kennedy. "We lost some one everyone dearly loved. But we all have an understanding of the nature of the business."

Kerr County Judge Pat Tinley, who officiated at Smith's funeral on Sunday, agreed. "Aviation was literally his life," he told the Daily News. "He was a real fine gentleman. It's a loss to this community."

Joel Smith has gone west, into a sunset where every plane is a Mooney and every one of them checks out. Happy landings, Joel.

FAA Preliminary Accident Report

IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: 1050W        Make/Model: MO20      Description: MO-20
  Date: 08/04/2004     Time: 1257

  Event Type: Accident   Highest Injury: None     Mid Air: N    Missing: N
  Damage: Destroyed

LOCATION
  City: OLNEY                       State: TX   Country: US

DESCRIPTION
  ACFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES AND WAS DESTROYED, THE THREE
  PERSONS ON BOARD WERE FATALLY INJURED, OLNEY, TX

INJURY DATA      Total Fatal:   0
                 # Crew:   1     Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Pass:    2     Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Grnd:           Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   

WEATHER: KSPS 0414522Z 23013G21KT 10SM SCT100 SCT250 31/20 A2989                    
                                                                                    
                                                        

OTHER DATA
  Activity: Pleasure      Phase: Unknown      Operation: General Aviation

  Departed: DALLAS LOVE FIELD, T        Dep Date:    Dep. Time:     
  Destination: OLNEY, TX                Flt Plan: VFR          Wx Briefing: U
  Last Radio Cont: 1340Z
  Last Clearance: UNK

  FAA FSDO: FORT WORTH, TX  (SW19)                Entry date: 08/05/2004

FMI: www.mooney.com