Renowned AME Lost Wednesday During Airshow Performance
Aero-News received the following
report Thursday from our good friend Ralph McCormick at FLY-LOW
magazine, on Wednesday's tragic accident at the
Tucumcari Rotary Club Airshow. As Aero-News reported,
airshow performer Dr. Guy "Doc" Baldwin -- a Tulsa, OK doctor and
aviation medical examiner (AME) -- was killed when his Extra 300L
impacted the ground following a maneuver.
McCormick was at the show, and tells ANN the following:
One of our best aerobatic performers was killed [Wednesday] at
the Tucumcari air show. The air show, held on Wednesday, is one of
New Mexico's best air shows put on by the Tucumcari Rotary club. In
the 14 years of the air show, this is the first accident.
"Doc" Baldwin was the second aerobatic act to perform. He had
just begun his performance. He performed several maneuvers, made a
low pass from the west and pulled up to a vertical hammerhead and
then returned back down the same direction. He at the bottom of the
maneuver he pulled the Extra 300 back to straight and level. From
the photos that I took, it appeared that he remained level for some
time and then as he pass overhead I took one more photograph and
immediately after that the plane appeared to just fly to the
ground.
The plane impacted just a few feet from the taxiway. The plane
skidded several hundred feet rolling and tumbling before it
stopped. I was the first person to arrive at the crash scene,
followed immediately by Tucumcari fireman. "Doc" was killed on
impact. There was no fire. The impact caused the Extra to explode
into pieces and the wings were non-existent after the plane
stopped. That eliminated the possibility of fire... I shot photos
of "Doc" going over his plane with the Tucumcari firemen (below)
and the emergency actions necessary, should there be an accident.
He went into great detail with them.
The cause of the accident is unknown. Pictures and video being
shot at the time of the accident have been loaned to the FAA for
inspection. The NTSB will provide their opinion of the cause of the
crash in about a year. Weather conditions were perfect for an air
show, clear sky, cool, but strong east wind.
"Doc" was a good friend of mine and I, along with thousands of
others, will miss him dearly. He was 61 years of age.
Aero-News also received the following statement from the
Experimental Aircraft Association, on Doc Baldwin's passing:
EAA is saddened to
report the loss of Dr. Guy "Doc" Baldwin, EAA 117693, member of the
EAA Aeromedical Advisory Council who died as a result of an
airplane crash while performing at the annual Rotary Club Air Show
in Tucumcari, New Mexico, Wednesday afternoon. He was 60. According
to media reports, Baldwin, of Tulsa, Oklahoma, was attempting to
come out of a loop maneuver in his Extra 300 when the aircraft
collided with the ground.
Dr. Jack Hastings, Chairman of the EAA Aeromedical Advisory
Council, first heard the tragic news Wednesday evening while
attending an aviation medical conference in Ottawa, Canada. "It's a
tremendous tragedy," he said. "Guy was an avid flyer, a tremendous
supporter of the medical council, and a tremendous advocate for
pilot certification. He worked very hard on improving the process,
helping pilots with the special issuance process, getting through
the snags and delays of aeromedical certification.
"Keeping people in the air was his life's work."
Hastings noted that Baldwin's loss would have a significant
impact on aviation medical certification in Oklahoma. "He did
something like between two and three thousand exams a year in the
Tulsa area--one of the few AMEs in the country that did as many
exams every year." Hastings said. "He was my AME, too. I honestly
don't know who's going to absorb that kind of workload. It's going
to be tough."
A holder of multiple aircraft ratings including ATP, seaplane
and helicopter, Baldwin logged over 4,000 hours in numerous
aircraft during his 35 years of flying. He began performing at air
shows in 2002, flying under the banner of the Make-A-Wish
Foundations of Oklahoma. In 2003, Baldwin was voted Oklahoma
Aviator of the Year. He was also a well known as an author, writing
monthly columns for Oklahoma Aviator (Ask the Doctor) and General
Aviation News (The Doctor is In), and was a periodic contributor to
EAA's Sport Aviation.
Baldwin served on the EAA Aeromedical Advisory Council since
1993.
EAA's thoughts and prayers go out to his wife, Felice, and their
children, Hunter and Brittny.
Aero-News extends our condolences, as well, to Baldwin's friends
and family. We lost one of the good guys this week.
(Photos courtesy of Ralph McCormick at FLY-LOW
magazine)
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