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The crash killed Glenn Burns of Orange Park and Michael Goffena of Tennessee, pilots for Pegasus Technologies Inc., which tests and manufactures aircraft equipment at Reynolds Industrial Complex. The company is located across the street from the marina on Florida 16.
Hicks said both men were highly qualified pilots and had flown the dual-control aircraft twice that day without problems, Hicks said.
Pegasus had been hired to test the $1 million aircraft and its systems for Doyle Henderson Inc., which acquired the plane from Schweizer Aircraft Corporation late last year. Schweizer custom-builds the aircraft for quiet, low-altitude reconnaissance. The Coast Guard is one of the primary customers for the aircraft.
Pegasus had been hired to test the experimental aircraft and its systems for Doyle Henderson Inc., said Jerry Poman, chief of administration for Pegasus Technologies.
Doyle Henderson Inc. purchased the SA 2-37A single-engine aircraft from the Schweizer Aircraft Corp on Nov. 3, according to FAA computer records. Schweizer custom builds the aircraft for quiet-mission, low-altitude reconnaissance, according to the company.
The government, including the Coast Guard, is the primary customer for the reconnaissance aircraft, according to Jane's All the World's Aircraft.
Pegasus has one government contract, but the testing that was being conducted on this aircraft was not government related, at least not yet, Poman said.
A Schweizer spokeswoman said the company was involved in the crash investigation and could not comment for the story.
There are quite a lot of services offered by Pegasus.
Originally posted by nataylor
reply to post by butcherguy
So they seem to be an aircraft services company. Among their services offered is aerial photography.
Check here then:
Originally posted by nataylor
reply to post by butcherguy
I don't see anything about that on their web site: www.ptifl.com...
Originally posted by butcherguy
Check here then:
Originally posted by nataylor
reply to post by butcherguy
I don't see anything about that on their web site: www.ptifl.com...
Edit to fix link.
[edit on 16-7-2010 by butcherguy]
So you believe that it sounds pretty much normal for a special forces trained pilot to be performing test flights for someone other than the aircraft manufacturer, specifically an accounting firm?
Originally posted by nataylor
reply to post by butcherguy
He was a trained military pilot. I don't think it's unusual for them to enter the private sector as test pilots.
So it was not a test flight as previously stated?
Originally posted by nataylor
reply to post by butcherguy
You don't know it was an accounting firm. They are listed in some third-part directory in the accounting section. Doesn't mean that's what Doyle Henderson Associates did.
Here are the actual NTSB reports: www.ntsb.gov...
www.ntsb.gov...
He was familiarizing a newly hired pilot.