Mom: Boy didn't steal plane in crash

[marmar]

JASPER, Ala. — A teen pilot killed along with two friends in an Alabama plane crash had his own key to the aircraft and had flown it many times, his mother said Wednesday, denying authorities' assertion that the plane had been taken without permission.

Sherrie Smith said her 17-year-old son Jordan Smith was the one flying the plane that went down in the Alabama woods Tuesday night. The Federal Aviation Administration said the Piper PA 30 crashed less than a mile from the Walker County Airport in Jasper, which is northwest of Birmingham.

Smith says the owner of the plane had let her son fly it many other times and had given him his own key. Her son was a high school junior who fell in love with flying at an early age and was one test short of earning his private pilot's license.

"He had used the plane many times before," she said. .................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://xfinity.comcast.net/articles/news-national/20130102/US.New.Year_s.Plane.Crash/

[Tempest]

1. "He had used the plane many times before,"

Logic fail.

The question is, did he have blanket approval and if not, did he ask permission this time?

If not, then he stole the plane.

[Sekhmets Daughter]

2. Her lawyer just had heart attack....

She let her unlicensed son take her plane and as a result he and his 2 friends are dead...

[Cooley Hurd]

3. I hope the owner didn't agree to let this kid take passengers...

...before getting his private rating.

[Liberal_in_LA]

6. if he had a key or not will be proof

[RebelOne]

9. If he did not have a pilot's license, he was not authorized to take passengers. n/t

[Canuckistanian]

4. Wow, bad judgement all around

No license. Not qualified to fly at night. Not qualified on dual prop planes. No explicit permission. Flying in overcast conditions with low cloud cover. 3 teenage boys.

Almost a predictable result.

[TheMadMonk]

5. Yes he did. And she should buy the man a new plane. /nt

[Warpy]

7. Saying he stole it could be a way to get the insurance company

to cough up. Or the kid had "used it plenty of times" with the owner around it or in it. Truth is not being told here. This story needs at least a 2 week sniff test.

[mn9driver]

8. This doesn't make sense.

Twin Comanches currently for sale average $80,000 to $100,000. Here is a kid who a) doesn't have his private license yet, b) by extension can't have a multi engine rating yet and c) has a couple of buddies with him and it's late at night.

What owner would give permission for a night joyride under these circumstances?

In checking the FAA registry, it looks like the aircraft's registration expired last July. That throws into question whether it had been flown lately or was even airworthy. Also, the FAA report on the accident has the time at 0440--not sure if this is local or UTC, but either way it was pretty late at night.

If he had access and a key, it's much more likely that it was to work on the plane and clean it up--not to fly it. Sad all around.