Tue, Sep 30, 2003
EAA Chapter 1 President, Girlfriend Killed in Crash
David Stits, 56, and Debbie Nalepa, 53, were killed Saturday in
a 1970s-build Stits Playmate (file photo, below), as David
flew.
David, flying for forty years, was the president of EAA Chapter
1 at Flabob (CA), and was the son of Ray Stits, the airplane's
designer, who also helped revolutionize fabric covering and
painting.
The crash, into a dry creekbed near Fontana (CA) north of LA,
happened just 20 feet or so from the Interstate 15 freeway. Some
witnesses speculated that Stits was looking for a place to put
down, but felt he couldn't safely merge with traffic. There was a
postcrash fire.
Our sympathies go out to David and Debbie's families, and to his
numerous aviation buddies, friends for life.
** Report created 9/29/2003 Record
31 **
IDENTIFICATION
Regis#: 9YC
Make/Model: EXP Description:
STITS SA-11 EXP
Date: 09/27/2003 Time: 2355
Event Type: Accident Highest Injury:
Fatal Mid Air: N Missing:
N
Damage: Destroyed
LOCATION
City:
FONTANA
State: CA Country: US
DESCRIPTION
AIRCRAFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES, TWO PERSONS ON
BOARD WERE FATALLY INJURED, FONTANA, CA
INJURY DATA Total Fatal:
2
# Crew: 1 Fat:
1 Ser:
0 Min:
0 Unk:
# Pass: 1 Fat:
1 Ser:
0 Min:
0 Unk:
# Grnd:
Fat: 0 Ser:
0 Min:
0 Unk:
WEATHER: UNK
OTHER DATA
Activity: Pleasure Phase:
Unknown Operation: General
Aviation
Departed: RIVERSIDE,
CA
Dep Date: Dep.
Time:
Destination: RIVERSIDE,
CA
Flt Plan: NONE Wx
Briefing: N
Last Radio Cont: UNK
Last Clearance: UNK
FAA FSDO: RIVERSIDE, CA
(WP21)
Entry date: 09/29/2003
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