Chapter 4

Over The Edge

I was walking in the door when I saw what looked like my 1st fly in customer turn final. I watched his approach a high cannonball full flap into to the wind over the threshold he pointed her nose skyward two feet above the ground stalling her out. I figured the airplane to be a classic vintage 172 or 182. There was a sight as her spring steel-leaf gear spread out as the plane impacted the ground in a carrier landing and I heard the sound of "sprong" on impact. This was followed the squealing of tires as he brought her to quick halt. This guy was either scared of the short distance,a born ham fist,or someone just upset at the world. As he shut the airplane down I walked up to him and quickly discovered it was number three.

He had dark hair a beard mustache and lines etched into his face which appeared to be fixed in a scowl. Deep frown lines marked his face older then it really was. The thinness in the mustache gave his age away. In his eyes was deep burning anger and behind like a kid full of fear. He strode with a stride that held a hint of hostility in it. I opened the door and he asked where the staff was. I looked at him and told him that he was speaking to the owner himself. He ordered 2 Celis Pale Bocks. I carded him shocked to find out he was only a couple days passed his 21st birthday. I told him that I would not let him leave the café till 8 hours had passed between his last sip of beer and the swinging of the prop starting the airplane. He shot me a go to hell look. He chugged his 1st beer down followed by his second. He then started marching for the door his step had gotten just a hair lose.

I cut him off. I told him "You are not leaving this premises till 8 hour elapse I ain't going to have a plane crash on my conscience." He looked at me "Conscience that's just a myth hell their ain't no right and wrong hell we are just a butt of some cosmic joke and if I want to kill myself in my damn airplane I don't give a rat's ass about you. All my friends are dead they were like family I prayed to God to protect them they are dead you hear me dead. All I wanted was their protection yet they are dead There is no God and I never knew him it was all just in my mind. If there is one he is one cruel son of bitch that does not give jackshit about mankind all the Gospel shit is a fairy tale" I stood there dumbstruck for a moment raw seething pain had just shot out at the world. He then fired a straight right to my jaw and I was out. He walked over me to his airplane.

As I was coming too I heard the engine start I tried to run to catch the airplane he taxied rapidly turned her into the wind and I knew it was hopeless. The white and blue Skylane accelerated down the runway I had to duck to avoid getting hit by the wing strut  and abruptly rotated near the end and the plane fly skyward. The plane climbed about 200 feet and attempted to turn crosswind in what can best be described as flight considerably less the coordinated with the nose high. The combination high-density altitude, sloppy turn and high nose led to a spin.

The airplane turned to right the stall breaking hard to the right and the nose aimed to the ground continuing its rotation as it corkscrewed it bit while plunging. That was textbook Cessna single engine spin behavior. I was running towards the airplane. He did not even try to recover on the side of highway 83 it made impact near the Butt foundation property. There was the sound of metal being ripped to shreds as the airplane disintegrated as it hit the ground. I guess he had gotten fuel at Kerrville because there was one big fire. I knew that there was nothing I could to in an attempt to save the man's life. He was either crushed and with the fire he would soon be burned to death. I muttered to myself "Damn!" I walked back sweating in shock to the café and called the San Antonio FSDO to report the accident. I gave them a full report about the accident my attempts to intervene my eye witness account of the spin and my decking. I got my medical suspended as a bonus thanks for that small period of being out.

Following that the anger hit me. Here was someone 4 years older then I committing suicide as the first customer of the café. I got the 1st press call regarding the accident. Following that came the Real County sheriff and a couple DPS officers to block off the crash site. Clint arrived saying "I'm sorry I missed the fun mind if I handle the counter while you cook?" I replied "sure its all yours just tell people the cook is outside and will need to drink water quite frequently to avoid heat stroke."

Within 2 hours I was selling sprite and hamburgers like they were going out of style while Clint ran interference for me at the counter telling countless reporters I did not want to talk about it. There were three news choppers there at one time. The work took my mind off the event and between tending the fire cooking a good fifty burgers while Clint was selling any soft drink without caffeine like they were going out of style. I was hot and sweaty finally at eight the crowd thinned out.