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Family Speaks About Pilot's Death

112 views · Published 8 April 2013 · 2:05 · Indexed 12 November 2026

Channel: WTVC NewsChannel 9 · 2013 · News & Politics

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By Jerry Askin The family of an experienced pilot who died Friday speaks only to NewsChannel 9.  For the first time, David Richardson's family shares their sentiments about the bizarre tragedy. He ended his life doing what he loved best, says Tim Richardson, David's son.Flying airplanes was certainly a passion for David Richardson.  He loved it and was no rookie.He had taken a lot of lessons, had a lot of experience, this wasn't his first time, says Tim Richardson.Richardson's son helped rescue workers search for his father's body for hours on Saturday -- it's something he tells us made it a little easier to deal with his father's death.Whether or not you're the one who find him or not, you actually do feel like you're contributing, and that helped out trumendously, says Tim Richardson.The 77-year-old died Friday after his plane went into a nose dive.  He was flying with a flight instructor because he was learning to fly a smaller plane than he was used to.  We're told his safety harness may not have been properly fastened when the plane's canopy flew off and he fell from the plane.It appears to be just an unfortunate accident where he thought he was secure, but in fact he wasn't, says Tim Richardson.Richardson says his father always put safety first. He had been doing everything he could do with what needed to be done, so as far as him being careless, I don't think it was anything like that going on.Despite this tragedy, his father's confidence and free-spirit is what he'll miss the most.If someone told him it's something that he couldn't do, he'd say no I think I will do that, says Tim Richardson.And now, his family will move on with that philosophy.I just miss him and I wish he was here, says Tim Richardson.Richardson's funeral is scheduled for this Thursday at 2pm at the Ridgedale Baptist Church.

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