'Drug Fighter' Franklin Augustus Killed, Along with TV Personality, Nancy Parker

It's been another really tough day for aviation as a well-known aerobatic pilot and aviation advocate lost his life while flying a local reporter for a story about his life's efforts. Franklin Augustus, one of the few African American Airshow pilots in the world, as well as being heavily involved in the local chapter of the Tuskegee Airmen, went down in his 1983 Pitts S-2B about a half mile from New Orleans Lakefront Airport at approximately 1500 local time.

He was giving an aerobatic ride to prominent local TV Reporter Nancy Parker when the aircraft went down. The accident did not appear remotely survivable, and the aircraft caught fire as a result of the impact pretty much consuming the aircraft. Little detail is yet known about the circumstances just prior to the accident, other than the fact that Augustus noted that he would be using the local aerobatic practice area -- but an NTSB investigator has been dispatched to the scene. 

Few other details are known at this time, Augustus was flying Parker as she was working on a story about his activities. Augustus was heavily involved in aviation outreach, had been an airshow performer and Aerobatic Competency Evaluator, and gave a great deal of time and effort into introducing young people, especially young African Americans, to the world of aviation. Augustus was 69 years old.  

Ms. Parker, 53, had been a reporter for WVUE-TV for 23 years.

FMI: http://www.drugfighter.com/