Originally Posted by captscott26

I had the good fortune of flying with the Captain of that airplane for many years....I worked for East Coast Jets from 03 to 07, and he was my FO for 3 of those years. I can tell you he was an excellent stick and would NEVER drive an airplane into a TS or winds in excess of 70mph. He was also, more importantly, a great person and a dear friend. I ask everyone on this board to refrain from the usual "opinions turned fact" that usually ensues after an accident such as this.

The facts as I know them right now are this....a very nasty line of storms passed over the airport about a half hour prior to their arrival. The winds at the time of the crash were from the south at 5-10 mph. The crew radioed to the ground a few minutes before the crash to inquire about parking and gas, and reported no problems with the a/c. The black box was sent to DC for analysis and we will hopefully get many questions answered from that tape.

There are many folks at ECJ that frequent this board and are dealing with the loss of two friends and colleagues. Out of respect for us and the families of those affected, lets stick to the facts and leave the opinions to the idiots in the press.

Thank you all for your consideration and understanding.