Curtiss Wright Travel Air 4000 Went Down Wednesday En Route To A Vintage Aircraft Fly-In

A 1928 Curtiss Wright Travel Air 4000 went down Wednesday near Palmer Lake in El Paso County, CO resulting in the fatal injury of the two people on board the airplane.

One of those has been confirmed to be the airplane's owner, Daniel Murray, by Howard Morgan, president of the Hangar Owners Association at Vance Brand Municipal Airport in Longmont, CO.

The Times Call newspaper reports that Murray had recently celebrated his 76th birthday, and was well known among the airport community as a great mechanic who helped others at the airport with "mechanical stuff."

Murray and his passenger, who has not yet been identified, were reportedly en route to an antique airplane fly-in.

Murray had recently been profiled by Vintage Airplane Magazine. His company, Task Research, had assisted in the construction of Voyager, which circumnavigated the earth non-stop. He also built airplanes that are flown at Walt Disney World in the Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular, according to the article.

Murray had flown in and appeared as an extra in several movies, including two focused on Amelia Earhart.

(Image from file. Not accident airplane)

FMI: www.ntsb.gov