Plane crash at Spencer Airport

NBPD336

NBPD336

Pre-takeoff checklist
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Mar 13, 2010
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Taxachusetts
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Jett
Yes, this was Gregg (with 2 "g"s).

Gregg owned the Spencer Airport, was an A&P/IA, CFI and would do anything for you. I saw him on Saturday at a Christmas party, and drove him home. His wife and ten year old son had left earlier, and he didn't want to leave yet.

I bought my Cherokee ten years ago, and inquired at the Worcester Airport about keeping it there. The produced a mountain of paperwork to be filled out. I then stopped at the Spencer Airport to inquire there. There was no paperwork to sign, just go in at the beginning of each month, find my gas slip, and drop a check on his desk. When I inquired about insurance (Worcester was to be named as an additionally insured $1 million policy) Gregg said "Don't hit anything".

When I was out of work, Gregg hired me to help him in the shop. He taught me how to remove inspection plates, how to do brakes, oil changes, and lube pulleys. There was no bill when I picked up my plane from annual that year. I traded my work for avgas, and never flew more.

Gregg was at my Labor Day party one year, and my dog attacked him. Still unknown why, but he ended up with four puncture wounds in his little finger.

A few months after I bought my plane, I learned of the Lycoming oil pump AD, and ended up having Gregg overhaul the engine. Actually, Mattituck overhauled it, but Gregg removed and installed it, along with all the other associated stuff. I found Art Mattson's STC for the 160HP upgrade. A few months later, Howard bought a Cherokee, and pretty much did exactly what I had done, including Mattson's STC.

Gregg died in Howard's Cherokee.

I hadn't been flying my plane much, and ended up selling it about a year ago. Gregg handled the sale (I found the buyer on eBay), and mailed me the check. I hadn't seen him for a while, but swapped emails with him.

I got an email from him two weeks ago, inviting me to a Christmas party that Harvey (another Cherokee owner) was throwing on Saturday. I'm really glad I went.
 
Sorry for your loss.
 
I'm sorry Steve, he sounds like he was a really good man I wish I had gotten the chance to meet him. Thoughts and prayers with his family and friends.
 
Steve that truly is ashame. From the way you descirbe him I can say it will be a huge loss to GA as well.
 
RIP, this is just awful.

These kind of crashes really make me think about my own flying, when I see someone with significant experience end up in a situation like this. Hopefully the cause will be found.

Jeff
 
Steve, I'm truly sorry to hear that you lost a good friend and our aviation fraternity lost a good guy. The good ones are hard to come by, and in one way or another we will all miss them.
 
I'll echo the condolences. Sounds like Gregg was one of the good ones.
 
Very sad. I met Gregg in 1988 when I learned to fly (at Spencer). RIP - prayers are most definitely with his loved ones and family.

-North
 
A tragic loss for GA. Sounds like a really good guy.
 
I'm glad for those that got to know him. From what I can tell, NTSB hasn't posted it on their website yet.

Godspeed Gregg.
 
Jaybird180 said:
NTSB hasn't posted it on their website yet.
Click to expand...

From what I read, the District Attorney's office is taking part in the investigation. I don't know if that is standard procedure for an unattended death, or if there's something else going on.

Either way, that could hold up publication.
 
Probable cause was published today.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:



The in-flight collision with a tree while returning to land for undetermined reasons.
Click to expand...
 
Thanks Kimberly,

It's frustrating not knowing what really happened. Unfortunately, in the year since Gregg died, the airport has become a ghost town. The last time I drove by, there were six planes parked there. There used to be 25.
 
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