T-34 Loses Wing In Possible Collision

It's not uncommon to look up in the skies over Lake Conroe (TX), north of Houston, and see a pair of T-34s twisting and turning in mock combat. But when retired corporate pilot Jim Lebus looked up from his golf game Wednesday afternoon, he was horrified. He saw a wing separate from one of the two aircraft.

"It just came off," he said. "The plane started spiraling down, down and the wing was fluttering down behind it."

One of the Texas Air Aces aircraft impacted the ground about 20 yards from a highway, killing the two people on board. The separated wing landed in a field nearby. The second aircraft landed safely at Hooks Memorial Airport in northwestern Harris County shortly after the incident.

Dead are 39-year-old William Eisenhauer of Centerville (OH) and 64-year-old Donald Wylie from Montgomery (TX). Wylie is a former USAF F-4 and B-52 pilot. He founded Texas Air Aces in 1992. The company sells simulated combat flights featuring lasers instead of machine guns.

Three years after establishing Texas Air Aces in Spring (TX), Wylie (pictured right, standing next to actor and AST graduate Harrison Ford) came up with another venture. Aviation Safety Training helps experienced pilots cope in unusual attitude situations. AST has received wide recognition as a vital contributor to accident avoidance.

Eisenhaur, the second pilot aboard the downed T-34 was a 15-year flying veteran, according to the Houston Chronicle. His brother, Chuck, told the newspaper his brother "was just one of those guys who loves to fly. He was doing what he loved to do. His eyes just absolutely lit up over it." William Eisenhauer was reportedly employed by Airborne Express. His brother speculated Eisenhauer had been in the Houston area on business.

A trio of NTSB investigators was sifting through the crash site into the evening.

Spar Problems?

After the 1999 crash of a T-34 during a similar dogfight simulation in Georgia, the NTSB reported stress fractures found in the wing spar of the aircraft. The FAA issued an AD limiting the speed and G-loads on T-34s. It also recommended more frequent wing inspections.

AST's web site says the company flew six T-34s, all with updated engines and Beechcraft Baron wing spars.

FMI: www.airaces.com