NTSB: Four dead in Watsonville plane crash including two children

http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_18439510

By Jason Hoppin
07/08/2011

WATSONVILLE - The National Transportation Safety Board has confirmed that a Santa Cruz family of died in a single-engine plane crash last night in Watsonville.

David Houghton, 45, his wife, Dede, 44, and their sons Luke, 12, and Ryan, 10, were killed when the plane crashed into the medical offices at the Watsonville Community Hospital shortly after takeoff from the nearby airport, according to David's brother John Houghton.

"My brother and family died in plane crash on the way to a family vacation at Pine Lake Mountain last night as their plane crashed upon takeoff from the Watsonville airport," Houghton said.

Initially officials thought there were two people aboard but Escalante said when they pulled the wreckage from the building early this morning they discovered two more bodies. Thomas Arnold, who was in the hospital parking lot when the plane careened sideways just 15 feet above his head, said he thought he'd seen what appeared to be another person behind the front passenger.

"I saw two faces and two big sets of eyes," Arnold said of the pilot and front passenger inside the plane as it ripped overhead.

NTSB officials are taking the lead in the investigation into Thursday night's crash, which occurred just before 7:30 p.m. Witnesses described a plane in obvious distress that crashed into a parking lot at Watsonville Community Hospital and slid into a medical office building, where it burst into flames. Several local and federal agencies are on scene.

The NTSB's investigator-in-charge is Michael Huhn. An agency spokesman said the investigation will include an examination of the wreckage, as well as compiling witness statements.

Similar investigations typically take six months to a year to conclude.

Airport manager Don French said he couldn't identify the passengers but could confirm the plane is local.

Watsonville's Municipal Airport does not require a flight plan be filed and has no control tower.

According to the tail number, the plane is registered to David Houghton, listed as a principal at A+ Environmental Solutions, an environmental sciences and engineering firm in Santa Cruz. Officials have not confirmed that it was the Houghton family on board. The plane's co-owner is listed as Chester Belknap, also of Santa Cruz.

Dr. David Ghilarducci, who said he was a friend of Houghton's, attending UCSC with him and later working as a firefighter at the university together, came to the crash site Friday to pay his respects.

Ghilarducci of San Jose said Houghton's business was environmental and geologic services, but that Houghton's passion was scuba diving, running a small shop that barely broke even.

He said Houghton enjoyed trips to Baja California, even building a house there and having his two sons attend elementary school for a year in Mexico.

Ghilarducci said Houghton took up flying about 18 months ago, and had flown to Mexico more than once.

He had "a lot of interests, a real zest for life," Ghilarducci said.

Ghilarducci said Houghton was married to DeDe, and his two sons were named Luke and Ryan. No victim identities have been confirmed.

In 2009, the Houghtons flew to Mulege, Mexico, to help the town's residents after Hurricane. Jimena. The Houghtons, owners of Aqua Safaris SCUBA Center in Santa Cruz, and their two sons began collecting donations of cash and laptop computers the day after the storm hit. They flew to Ensenada, where they used the donated money to buy food and medical supplies, and continued on to Mulege, where they planned to distribute the supplies.

The family has spent time in the past helping the impoverished area build schools and playgrounds, and they will return to help the initial emergency response before more experienced relief volunteers arrive.

The plane that is registered to Houghton is a 1974 single-engine Mooney M20F. The Mooney Airplane Co., headquartered in Kerrville, Texas, was founded in 1929.

Rayvon Williams, a project manager for the city working on airport issues, said he'd been flying out of the municipal airstrip since 1998. While there have been crashes over the years, Williams said he doesn't know of one that's ever occurred near the hospital.

"I've never seen anything like this, said Williams, who in December will take over as interim airport general manager when Don French retires.

"The city, the airport, we're all saddened by this," Williams said. "Our condolences go out to the family."

Thursday night witness George Benson said he saw the plane take off and said the pilot appeared to be trying to clear the fog line.

Benson, a Watsonville pilot, was in the industrial park adjacent to the Watsonville Municipal Airport. He said the single-engine light brown Mooney was a four-seater.

"He (the pilot) was heading toward the coast and tried to climb," Benson said. "From the time he took off, he was going too steep, too slow.

"He spun to the left and you can see where the impact was," Benson said standing in the hospital parking lot Thursday night looking at the tail of the charred plane sticking out of the building, debris strewn across the parking lot.

"He didn't have any time for recovery," Benson said, suggesting he'd have used the cross runway. The airport has two runways, laid out like a "t".

French said there were no special advisories and it was a normal Central Coast foggy day. But the tenured pilot said it was an unusual place for an airplane to be and not the "usual flight path."

"It's never as simple as it appears to be," said French, who's set to retire after four decades.

The plane, rolling south as it fell from the sky, crashed into the hospital's medical offices, which are at the corner of Nielson Street and Airport Boulevard, the first building upon entering the hospital complex. Officials say no one was inside at the time. The plane hit the offices of Dr. Cheryl Northey, an obstetrician and gynecologist.

Thomas Arnold, 34, of Watsonville was in the parking lot next to the medical offices preparing to move his car when he heard the plane overhead.

Arnold, whose fiancee was in labor inside the hospital, said the plane came careening sideways across the parking lot about 15 feet above his head.

The plane hit the pavement just two spaces from his car sending the propeller flying and ripping part of the wing off. The plane bounced off the pavement, leaving a chunk of asphalt missing, and slammed into the building, Arnold said.

"It exploded when it hit the building and engulfed in flames," he said.

Arnold said he ran to another woman in the parking lot who said "Don't worry I called 911. Oh my God it almost hit you."

Surgical technician Rick Cervantes said he was in surgery and heard the crash. He and his partner ran out with two fire extinguishers and attempted to put out the flames before firefighters arrived, which was in moments. Watsonville's station II is blocks away.

Arnold, who left to attend to his fiancee after surveying the scene for awhile, said the hospital smells of smoke and some of the sprinklers inside deployed.

Hospital spokeswoman Cindy Weigelt said the hospital was not affected by the crash and all areas remain operational.

The administration building is connected to the main hospital via a hallway and was not open at the time of the crash.

"All of our patients, employees and visitors are safe," Weigelt said Thursday night. "Because of the quick response by the fire department, no evacuation was necessary."

Northey, who was not at her office at the time, surveyed the damage Thursday night. She said "It's too bad, and I don't even know who died or how many."

Northey has had her office at the hospital for 11 years. She said she is accustomed to seeing airplanes taking off given the hospital's proximity to the airport, but "has never seen anything like this."

She said Watsonville police and the hospital will help her secure the medical records as soon as it's safe to enter the office. She said her first priority was the safety of the records and finding another spot to see her pregnant patients, whose care, given the nature of their condition, cannot be delayed.

"As soon as we can get in, we will get in there and secure our records," Northey said.

Dr. Ali Khademi, a gastroenterologist, was in an administrative meeting at the hospital when the plane crashed. He said he did not see or hear the crash, but heard the sirens.

"I don't think anyone was in the office thank God. It was after hours. Otherwise it would have been even worse," Khademi said.

The isn't the first crash of a plane from the airport. In 2006, the pilot of a Grumman AA-5 nose-dived into the front yard of a home on Loma Prieta Avenue across the street from the airport. The pilot suffered minor injuries; no one on the ground was hurt.

A pilot of a single-engine plane was killed in 2009 after he crashed into an apple orchard about a mile east of the airport while trying to make an emergency landing.


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Photo:

David Houghton, 45, his wife, Dede, 44, and sons Luke, 12, and Ryan, 10, died in plane crash on the way to a family vacation at Pine Lake Mountain Thursday night as their plane crashed upon takeoff from the Watsonville airport. (John Houghton)

Why would "God" ask a family, doing so much good, to leave the earth where they are sorely needed. Are they helping people "up there"?

All part of His great plan, I suppose...............

How thoroughly depressing. They deserved better.

I can barely look at that photo...............

Poor Choice - Terrible Result

The Ghost of Jr.

ANOTHER Mooney Down on Takeoff

Quote:

Originally posted by Hook Why would "God" ask a family, doing so much good, to leave the earth where they are sorely needed. Are they helping people "up there"? All part of His great plan, I suppose............... How thoroughly depressing. They deserved better. I can barely look at that photo...............

It's Elementary