Donald Jerome THOMPSON^[1]

1924 - 1971  (47 years)

• Name	Donald Jerome THOMPSON
  Born	28 Apr 1924
  Gender	Male
  Residence	Tampa, Hillsborough, Florida
  Residence	Michigan
  Cause of Death	Airplane crash
  Died	23 Oct 1971	St Petersburg, Pinellas, Florida
  Person ID	I3657	Main
  Last Modified	13 Aug 2017

  
  

  Father	Clifton Ambrose “Clifford” THOMPSON,   b. 29 Aug 1898, Kentucky ,   d. 30 Jul 1967, Dearborn, Wayne, Michigan  (Age 68 years)
  Mother	Jenny June SUTTON,   b. 25 Jul 1902, Alexander, Franklin, Iowa ,   d. 26 Dec 2002, Dearborn, Wayne, Michigan  (Age 100 years)
  Family ID	F1266	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Barbara Lucille HARRIS,   b. 1928,   d. 23 Oct 1971, St Petersburg, Pinellas, Florida  (Age 43 years)
  Married	22 Aug 1946	Warwick County, Virginia
  Children	+ 1. Donna June THOMPSON,   b. 19 Nov
  Photos		thompson_crash
  Last Modified	1 Nov 2020
  Family ID	F1338	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Documents

  Crash is Blamed on Control Locks Article describing the plane crash. Alcohol was involved.

  
  

• Notes

  Donald and wife died in plane crash. Their only daughter was raised by his mother Jenny. —— St Petersburg Times, 30 Dec 1971 Crash is Blamed on Control Locks Failure to disengage locks on vital flight controls has been given as the cause of a plane crash that took four lives at St Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport Oct 23. The National Transportation Safety Board, in a report issued Tuesday, said the plane’s pilot had not removed “flight control gust locks” before take-off. Victims of the crash were Dr. Paul Cope and his son, Robert, both of Seminole, and Donald Jerome Thompson Jr and his wife Barbara Lucille, both of Tampa. Their plane, a twin-engine Beech 55, crashed into a marsh at the northeast corner of the airport shortly after takeoff. The Safety Board investigated and found that the elder Cope, a pilot with 1,000 hours of flying time, was at the plane’s controls. It also reported to Federal Aviation Administration chief John H. Shaffer that the takeoff was made “with the elevator, aileron and rudder control locks installed.” The locks are used to prevent damage to the controls from wind or other sources when the aircraft is on the ground. The board’s report revealed that two other Beech 55s were involved in similar crashes that took an additional five lives. Investigators found that, while pilots should have made sure that the locks were not engaged before takeoff, the aircraft does not have an “unmistakable warning” feature to indicate that the locks are engaged or prevent takeoff with them in place. The board recommended to Shaffer that the Beech 55 be modified to include such a warning when any part of the locking system in engaged and urged that other aircraft be reviewed for “similar design-induced-pilot-error type of control locks.” —— NTSB Database: NTSB Identification: MIA72AM041 14 CFR Part 91 General Aviation Event occurred Saturday, October 23, 1971 in ST.PETERSBURG, FL Aircraft: BEECH 95-B55, registration: N8427N ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- File: 3-2667 Date: 71/10/23 Location: ST.PETERSBURG,FLA Aircraft Data: BEECH 95-B55, N8427N, DAMAGE-DESTROYED Injuries: Fatal - 2 CR, 2 PX Flight Purpose: Instructional Dual Pilot Data: COMMERCIAL, FL.INSTR., AGE 46, 10590 TOTAL HOURS, UNK/NR IN TYPE, INSTRUMENT RATED. NAME OF AIRPORT - ST.PETERSBURG-CLE DEPARTURE POINT - ST.PETERSBURG,FLA INTENDED DESTINATION - LOCAL TYPE OF ACCIDENT - COLLISION WITH GROUND/WATER: UNCONTROLLED PHASE OF OPERATION - TAKEOFF: INITIAL CLIMB PROBABLE CAUSE(S): PILOT IN COMMAND - INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT PREPARATION AND/OR PLANNING MISCELLANEOUS ACTS, CONDITIONS - GUST LOCKS ENGAGED FACTOR(S): MISCELLANEOUS ACTS, CONDITIONS - CHECKLIST-FAILED TO USE PILOT IN COMMAND - PHYSICAL IMPAIRMENT MISCELLANEOUS ACTS, CONDITIONS - ALCOHOLIC IMPAIRMENT OF EFFICIENCY AND JUDGMENT FIRE AFTER IMPACT REMARKS- ELEVATOR/AILERON AND RUDDER CTL LOCKS INSTALLED IN LOCK POS. IP BLOOD ALCOHOL LEVEL 115 MG PCT. [Note: this equals .115% BAC or about 5 drinks]

  
  

• Sources

  [S64] Norway to America, Our Heritage from, Sigruun Helmersen Olaussen, (self published).