Pine Mountain Crash Site
Michael,
Paul Bennett who is listed on the crash marker was my father in law. I married his oldest daughter Kathy. He was a preacher in Grundy for several years then moved to Danville Illinois. He and the other two men were flying back to Grundy to raise support for a new church building in Danville when their plane was caught in a thunderstorm. The plane crashed at this site. A local church in Haysi put the marker at this location 25 years after the crash and invited all the families to attend
John A. Graham
NTSB Identification: NYC66A0031
14 CFR Part 91 General Aviation
Aircraft: PIPER PA-24, registration: N6930P
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FILE DATE LOCATION AIRCRAFT DATA INJURIES FLIGHT PILOT DATA
F S M/N PURPOSE
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2-1110 65/8/25 CLINTWOOD,VA PIPER PA-24 CR- 1 0 0 NONCOMMERCIAL PRIVATE, AGE 36, 400
TIME - 1220 N6930P PX- 2 0 0 PLEASURE/PERSONAL TRANSP TOTAL HOURS, 77 IN TYPE,
DAMAGE-DESTROYED OT- 0 0 0 NOT INSTRUMENT RATED.
TYPE OF ACCIDENT PHASE OF OPERATION
COLLIDED WITH: TREES IN FLIGHT: NORMAL CRUISE
PROBABLE CAUSE(S)
PILOT IN COMMAND - CONTINUED VFR FLIGHT INTO ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS
PILOT IN COMMAND - INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT PREPARATION AND/OR PLANNING
FACTOR(S)
WEATHER - LOW CEILING
WEATHER - RAIN
WEATHER - FOG
WEATHER BRIEFING - NO RECORD OF BRIEFING RECEIVED
WEATHER FORECAST - FORECAST SUBSTANTIALLY CORRECT
MISSING AIRCRAFT - LATER RECOVERED
SKY CONDITION CEILING AT ACCIDENT SITE
OVERCAST 0
VISIBILITY AT ACCIDENT SITE PRECIPITATION AT ACCIDENT SITE
ZERO RAIN SHOWERS
OBSTRUCTIONS TO VISION AT ACCIDENT SITE TYPE OF WEATHER CONDITIONS
FOG IFR
TYPE OF FLIGHT PLAN
NONE
REMARKS- RECOVERY DATE. 9/3/66.PLT NOT INSTRUMENT RATED.NO WX BRIEFING OBTAINED AT LEX.KY ENROUTE STOP.
Located on Birch Knob Rd, up on the rock.
On August 25, 1965 a five passenger Piper Comanche single engine plane left Danville, Kentucky en route to Grundy, Virginia. After letting off two other passengers at Lexington, Kentucky the pilot and two passengers remained for the rest of the journey. Pilot Jack Stockdale of Danville, Illinois, Dale Coleman of Perrysville, Indiana, and Paul Bennett, Church of Christ minister also from Danville, IL were left on the plane. The plane was last heard from 30 miles west Whitesburg, Ky.
After the plane had not reached it's destination Civil Air Patrol organized an air and ground search on August 26, 1965. Civil Air Patrol units from Virginia, West Virginia, and Kentucky where brought in for the search. Army helicopters, State Police Planes, and varied ground equipment were also used.
Flying at tree top level the plane wreckage could not be spotted. On September 3, 1965, eight days after the crash Freel and Jennings Vanover, brothers and young graduates of Clintwood High School were driving the road to see the recently constructed fire tower. They saw a sun ray gleaming off a piece of metal 50 feet below the road. When investigating they found the metal to be that of the plane wreckage that had slid under the foliage near a cave.
A small marker was placed at the top of the hill, and another 200 ft below at the site of the actual plane crash in rememberance of the three men who died that August day.
There is a beautiful view from atop the rock to the right of the upper monument.