NTSB examining cause of Hendrick plane crash

[RC]

MARTINSVILLE, Va. (AP) -- One of auto racing's most successful dynasties was in mourning after a plane owned by Hendrick Motorsports crashed in thick fog en route to a NASCAR race, killing all 10 people aboard, including the son, brother and two nieces of owner Rick Hendrick.

The Beech 200 King Air took off from Concord, N.C., and crashed Sunday in the Bull Mountain area seven miles from the Blue Ridge Regional Airport in Spencer, near the Martinsville Speedway, said Arlene Murray, spokeswoman for the Federal Aviation Administration.

The National Transportation Safety Board began its investigation Monday but an air safety investigator had not yet been to the crash site.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2004/racing/10/25/bc.car.nascar.hendrickp.ap/

Excerp from e-mail from a friend telling me of it:
I spoke with my mom today and found out the plane carrying all those
nascar people that crashed into a mountain crashed a mile from Lea's
house.
My son in law, Glen, was outside and heard it through the fog and said he
could tell it was too low to clear the mountain behind their house and
then
heard the crash. Lea called 911 and since then the authorities have pretty
much set up their base station next to their house. Horrible horrible.
And then I think of how very close it came to their home....
My mom said the fog was pea soup.

[SoCalDem]

1. Small plane..pilot error..bad weather..sketchy maintenance

it's always the same:(


Busy rich folks, who want fast and easy, instead of safe and rubbing shoulders with the masses.

[saigon68]

2. Interesting Family ---Father Rick Hendrick a Convicted Federal Felon

Who used his political connections to get a pardon.

Rick Hendrick III, a NASCAR team owner, banished from the sport for a year after being sentenced for bribery and mail fraud.

Pardoned on Clinton's last day along with Dan Rostenkowski.

This after Mr Hendrick served a year of "house arrest" because of a medical condition.

On John Hendrick

In December 1997, Rick Hendrick pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud on charges of sending money to Honda in exchange for receiving better cars to sell at his dealerships. He was pardoned by President Clinton in 2000. John Hendrick was charged with conspiracy; he paid a $120,000 civil penalty and the charge was dismissed.
When the court barred Rick from running his dealerships or his racing team, John stepped in to run Hendrick Motorsports just in time for the 1998 Daytona 500, NASCAR's biggest race.
"My role is not to replace Rick Hendrick," he said at the time. "I don't know that anyone could."
But John Hendrick earned respect among the motorsports industry for his tenure leading the company in his brother's absence, said Bruton Smith, CEO of Speedway Motorsports Inc. and auto dealer Sonic Automotive Inc.
"I've never met anyone who didn't like John," Smith said.

[saigon68]

3. kick

[jugami]

4. Tough to say

I met both Rick and John several years ago at Indianapolis for the Brickyard 400. They were both very nice to me (I had scored some pit passes from a friend). As a Gordon fan we spent a lot of our time around their area. We were amazed by the hospitality of the whole organization. I've lost family members but one at a time, I can't imagine a blwo like this.

[rabbit2484]

5. I've met them both also

Extremely nice and Rick likes Edwards

http://www.newsmeat.com/fec/bystate_detail.php?city=Charlotte&st=NC&last=Hendrick&first=Rick