Sheriff's reports & Witness statement (1 - 4)

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Sheriff's reports & Witness statement (1 - 4)

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Report - 1 of 4 - Sheriff's report

This is approximately two pages of a four and a half page report by VanAlton Melvin, a member of the Lake County Sheriff’s Department at the time of the accident. This portion of this particular report describes the general scene as they found it upon arrival.

At 10:30 on 19 March 1982, Sgt. Kirby advised this writer VanAlton Melvin that there was a plane crash at the Flying Baron Estates outside of Leesburg Florida and at least three known fatalities. Sgt. Kirby and this writer departed from the Lake County Sheriff’s Department Technical Services office at 10:45, in the mobile crime scene van. General Scene: Present at the scene was D/S Smalt, Lt. Morrison, Sgt. Waterman, Investigator Harris, Investigator Witacker, Investigator Johnson and the Leesburg Fire Department. D/S Smalt was the first officer at the scene and secured the scene at approximately 10:15. Sgt. Kirby and this writer was informed by Investigator Witacker that the plane had struck a bus and tree and landed in the garage on the West end of the house. Investigator Witacker advised this writer that the bus, a Greyhound type golden-brown top and white bottom, had been moved from its original position after the crash due to the fire. The bus had been moved approximately 300 feet Easterly direction from the house. The bus was damaged about half way back on the right side. Half way up the side was a rectangular rip about 24 inches in diameter below the last window which was half knocked out. The window preceding this was smashed but still intact. Approximately 8 inches to the left of the large rip, there was another smaller hole approximately 6 inches in diameter. The front of the house facing a Northerly direction, this writer located parts of the aircraft. A large metal part approximately 6 to 7 feet long with a red end and a oldish stripe on it. Close by this object was located a oval piece of fiberglass type material approximately 12 inches in diameter with 12 holes and pieces of metal. There also was scattered around smaller pieces of fiberglass like material and pieces of metal. In a Northerly direction from the garage approximately 20 feet was a fourteen inch diameter pine tree that had been sheared off approximately ten feet up. The tree top and branches were lying approximately half the distance to the garage wall and smoldering along with other metal parts from the aircraft scattered amongst the branches. The largest majority of the metal resting in a area approximately eight feet long six inches wide and four feet from the garage wall, with one large piece lying to the outer edge of the smoldering primeature which was white in color and had a red end sticking up. In a Northerly direction from the garage stands two Oak trees, on the Westerly side of the trees and in an area near the base of the trees this writer located what appeared to be the compass from the plane lying in a vertical position with what was the compass end. Continuing around the area and on the Westerly side of the garage where the driveway enters the property on the Westerly side stands an ornamental yard light approximately six feet high. In a Westerly direction from this approximately eight feet this writer located a coupling approximately twelve inches long with tubing coming from both ends, it appeared to be either a hydraulic line or a fuel line. This writer then located an oblong object red and white in color on the Southerly side of the garage approximately two feet from the air conditioner exterior unit located outside of the garage wall. This object appeared to be one of the wing tanks off of the aircraft. Lying approximately six feet from the Southerly edge of the main part of the house this writer located a sealbeam light that also apparently came off of the aircraft. This aircraft was identified to this writer by D/S Smalt as being a Bonanza Beechcraft. The cement block walls were the only remaining part of the garage that was not destroyed by fire. Inside the garage was parked two vehicles that were destroyed by the fire and covered with debris. On the Northerly side of the garage is a vehicle that this writer designates as vehicle A. It appeared to be a convertible type with the top completely gone. On the Southerly side of the garage was located a vehicle that appeared to be of a hardtop type which this writer designated as vehicle B. The roof of the vehicle was crumpled in and on the trunk of the vehicle was what appeared to be the bottom portions of bar stool type furniture. Both vehicles A & B were parked in the garage with the front end of the cars nearest the main part of the house in a Easterly direction. Between the two vehicles near the rear of vehicle A close to the right rear tire area was located what appeared to this writer as being the engine of the aircraft. In front of vehicle A and extending between vehicle A & B was a large amount of paper that was told to this writer by Mr. Calhoun the brother of the property owner as maintenance and log sheets that came from the tail section of the aircraft that were partially burnt.


Report - 2 of 4 - Sheriff's report

This is approximately two pages of a four page report by Mike Smalt, a member of the Lake County Sheriff's Department and the first on the scene. This portion of the report deals with the witnesses that he (Mike Smalt) talked to upon arrival, most importantly - Keyboardist Don Airey, who witnessed the actual impact of the plane.

(Evidence) - Crime scene investigation turned over to Srgt. Kirby of the Lake County Sheriff's Department. All evidence located at the scene was taken by Srgt. Kirby. (Narrative) - On March 19th, 1982, this writer responded to a plane crash located at the Flying Baron Estates in Leesburg, Fla. Upon arrival this writer observed a two story, white block house, with the west end of the house in flames. This writer also observed the Leesburg Fire and Rescue Unit and a fire truck on the scene trying to extinguish the flames as well as parts laying in front of the house that were debris from what appeared to be the wing of a plane. This writer met with a white male named Donald Airey Smith who identified himself as being one of the occupants in the Greyhound type motor home bus, at the time when the plane crashed. Mr. Airey told this writer that he and four other people were on the bus and that Mr. Andrew Aycock, a white male, Mr. Randall Rhoads, a white male, and Mrs. Rachel Youngblood, a black female, were riding in a plane and Mr. Aycock was flying the plane, and Mr. Aycock circled the airport three times and on the fourth pass Mr. Aycock was coming from a northerly direction to a southerly direction and the plane was flying below the tree tops. Mr. Airey continued saying that he observed the plane hit the bus and then the plane went over the top of the bus and hit a pine tree and then go into the garage area of the house. Mr. Airey told this writer that the pilot was driving the bus for the Ozzy Osbourne Band for over 24 hours straight and that he was not drinking before he started flying the plane. This writer also talked to three other eye witnesses that said they observed the plane circle the airport several times at a very low tree top level and then they heard the crash and explosion. Mr. Airey told this writer that there were five occupants of the band in the bus at the time of impact and the bus was moved away from the fire immediately after the impact. This writer was advised by Zeb Treter, a property owner at the Flying Baron Estates, that the plane that crashed was a Beechcraft Bonanza, model 35 - single engine, and that he did not know exactly who owned the plane. This writer also was advised that Mr. Calhoun, owner of the two story house that the plane crashed into, was out of state in Detroit, Michigan on business.

Report - 3 of 4 - Sheriff's report

This report (original is hand written and too large to scan) is from Lieutenant R. Morrison of the Lake County Sherriff’s Department. Being that it was hand written it was a little tough to decipher. I was able to figure out what it said, although I couldn’t figure out what the very top line said (where I’ve placed X’s). I also placed X's over all the personal addresses.

XXXXX XXXXX Plane Crash Date/Time - 03-19-82 about 10:00a.m. Location - Flying Baron Estates, Leesburg, Fla.

Victims:

1. Randall Rhoads - w/m -d.o.b.: 12-6-56 XXXXXXXXXXXX, Burbank, California

2. Rachel Youngblood - b/f - d.o.b.: unknown - age apr. 50 XXXXXXXXXXXX, Los Angeles, California

3. Andrew Aycock - w/m XXXXXXXXXXXX, Leesburg, Fla.

On March 19, 1982 at about 10:00 a.m., a single engine airplane crashed into a house at the Flying Baron Estates. The airplane exploded on impact and burned. All three occupants of the plane were killed. The occupants of the house was not injured. According to witnesses at the scene, the aircraft had circled the area three times, flying at about tree top level. On the fourth pass the wing of the plane struck a tour bus, cartwheeled into a tree and crashed into the roof of the house. The plane exploded and burned on impact with the house. The five occupants of the bus were not injured. Investigation is continuing by the Lake County Sheriffs Department, the FAA and NTSB. LT. R. Morris


Report - 4 of 4 - Witness statement

Text from a witness statement from an individual who was at the opposite side of the runway at the time of the accident. The statement was written in his own handwriting, therefore I can not make out the exact spelling (or pronunciation) of his last name.

Image

My name is Brady M. (?????) and I was at the West end of the runway when I heard an airplane taking off so I went out of the shop to watch this plane and then they came back and started buzzing on the east end of the runway. They made several passes and then they landed, so I went back in the shop. Then someone came to the shop and I talk to him awhile and when he was fixing to leave, we was standing out by his truck and the plane took off again. And at the time I thought that they were going to leave the field, but then they started buzzing the house again and they went out to the south east, and made a turn to the left to come back going to the west, and then I guess they couldn’t pull out in time, and the airplane went out of sight from this end. And the man I was talking to said "that’s all let’s go." So we jumped in the truck and went down there, but there wasn’t anything we could do to help anyone in the plane.
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frethead
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Post by frethead »

I've been there. Roughly two and a half hours south-southwest of my home. The house is in Lady Lake, Florida, more or less a suburb of Leesburg, Fl. I'd say it has four bedrooms, and it's a two story, concrete block colonial painted white with white trim. There's a black iron fence with an electric gate around the property with security cameras at the entrance/ end of drivway. The driveway is, approximately, a hundred yards long in a curve away from the street. The house is being lived in and has obviously been repaired. Apparently, the owner is custom building travel coaches. For the life of me, I am unable to remember the name of his business. Was it "All American Coaches??" If the house is facing North, there is a clump of about three or four pine trees off-center of the house -to the west, just in front of the left side of the garage door jamb. No oaks in front. There is no visible evidence of a runway or planes, at all. There is a huge field, akin to a prairie or plain, of about 15 acres mostly in front of the house with no other visible buildings of any sort on the property. I 've got a couple of pictures of the house and security cameras/ fence and gate, but no scanner, currently. It has been a pretty good while since I was down there, and I haven't seen the pics in a while, but, there you go.
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Re: Sheriff's reports & Witness statement (1 - 4)

Post by Lara Coimbra »

I'm reading the reports right now.
Later I'll write my "reactions".
Well, Randy's up to bat, gonna hit me a home run...
Sorry 'bout that, outside, ball one...
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