Bud Dake dead in crash

In article m,
John Ross wrote:

This past weekend was Creve Coeur airport's annual WACO fly-in. On
Saturday early evening Bud Dake took up passenger Ken Love for a short
flight in his clipwing Monocoupe. Bud has another Monocoupe and a
985-powered Younkin Mullicoupe. The two took off just as I was
getting in my car to drive home.

They didn't come back and friends at the fly-in called the FAA but it
had gotten dark and nothing much could be done.

In the morning the Kerners went out looking and spotted the wreckage
on a duck club property about 15 miles northwest of the airport. They
called for a friend to bring his helicopter but the ground was swampy
and he had trouble finding a safe place to land.

I've been thinking about this accident a lot. Talked to Kevin Kimball,
the aeronautical engineer who built my plane. Also Al Stix jr. Here
are the facts as I understand them, and my opinions based on
observations:

1. I'm told the debris spread showed no evidence of plane coming
apart in flight. Tail and wings were at the crash site.

2. I'm told the debris spread indicated plane hit HARD. The engine
was ripped off the fuselage. Everything else was balled-up scrap.

3. Monocoupe was last rebuilt 20-ish years ago. I saw firsthand that
Bud took excellent care of all his airplanes.

4. Bud was a smooth, skilled pilot who *never* did aerobatics without
LOTS of altitude, and never did anything that heavily stressed the
airplane. Never heard of him doing a snap roll.

5. According to Kevin, the clipwing Monocoupe stalls right where my
Model 12 does, 61 MPH. IMO Bud would have survived (and probably
walked away from) a forced landing in his plane in any place other
than a field of giant boulders.

Al jr. thought it had to be some kind of catastrophic failure, and
said maybe the Aeromatic prop pitched a blade with resulting violent
vibration. Kevin says with its lightweight wooden blades, this would
not be a killer as on a plane with a metal prop.

Always choose the simplest scenario that fits all the known facts. At
the moment, I'd say the likeliest scenario is that Bud had a stroke or
heart attack and perhaps slumped over on the stick. (Don't know if
the plane had harnesses or just belts.) Ken Love was in his 70s and
may well not had the strength to get a big man (250-ish) off the
stick.

I think Bud may have been dead before the plane hit the ground.

I only knew Bud for four years, unlike many of his closer friends, but
he was one of my favorite people. He took me up in his Mullicoupe the
first day I met him. He was like that.

We are diminished.

JR


My condolences to all his friends and family.

John
Email me for more details...
don parsons

Saturday early evening Bud Dake took up passenger Ken Love for a short
flight in his clipwing Monocoupe.

This is very saddening. I've met Kenny Love (it has to be the same guy) at the
AAA flyin at Blakesburg, IA.

Condolences to all who knew them.

http://tinyurl.com/2clos

John Ross wrote...

Saturday early evening Bud Dake took up passenger Ken Love for a short
flight in his clipwing Monocoupe...

They didn't come back...

It's been pretty somber at the airport the past few
days. Plenty of speculation, no hard facts (yet).
I didn't know him other than to speak to him when
we crossed paths (his hangar is next to the one I rent),
but I know he had a large circle of friends at Creve Coeur.
By all reports and my own observations, Bud was an
excellent pilot and mechanic. My thoughts and prayers
are with his family and that of Ken Love.

Y'all be careful out there.

Dave ' ' Hyde