NYC 7ER FO Todd "Horny" Hornbuckle and his daughter were in a light airplane crash on Saturday. The engine quit on final and although Horny was able to bring it down in between trees there was a post-crash fire. He shielded his daughter from the worst of it and got her to safety. As a result he suffered burns over half of his body and faces a long, hard road to recovery. His daughter is expected to spend several weeks in the hospital but is stable. I'm sure many of you know Horny and know he's a great guy. Even though he's out on mil leave there will be many unforeseen expenses. A FundMe site has been set up to help the family. Links below have more information about the accident and a way to throw a couple of bucks their way.

https://www.gofundme.com/2syvgsb8

Corpus Christi pilot and daughter remain hospitalized after plan - KRISTV.com | Continuous News Coverage | Corpus Christi

 

Thanks Razor for bringing this to our attention. I hope every Delta pilot joins in and helps our brother in need.

 

Thanks for posting.

 

Done. Glad to help a fellow pilot.

 

Done. Thanks for posting this

 

I flew T-38s with Horny when he was getting checked out for the CTP program at Beale. Great guy.
Thoughts and prayers go out to him and his family.
As he once told me something his grandpa used to say when someone asked him if he had change for a $20...
"$20 IS change!"
And with that thought, I'm sending some bits of change.

 

I don't know the gentleman, but I'll be happy to contribute based on the testimony here. I will add a personal perspective as a pilot who is sidelined due to medical disability that bears no similarity to Todd's injuries and the likely emotional impact associated with his daughter's injuries. Medical expenses obviously can be huge. But my "reality check" came from the income decrease of being off-line. 270 hours of sick leave bid in a manner to stretch out close to four months is a great benefit that provides cash flow well above that of your average American worker. And Temporary Disabilty combined with DPMA ( and its tax exempt status) can come close to replicating take home pay in the midst of a normal LCW. With that said, it's a shock to no longer be able to "over achieve" via PCS. I just recently recognized how much I rely on the extra money that one can generate via schedule tweaking. That's history the moment you're off-line. In my case it's a budget buster. For the first time in many years, I'm very constrained in spending. I always pay off credit card bills each month. That's becoming tough, along with keeping up with university bills, a home renovation and everything else we call "life." So far, I've been fastidious on the path to meeting annual 415C limits for the 401K. That will be the last payment to be sacrificed. If you recall the financial mindset of being a regional F/O or a junior officer trying to support your family, here it comes again! And it sucks. Obviously I have no idea of Todd's personal financial circumstance, but it's entirely plausible that he could find himself in similar financial stress very soon.

A monetary boost from this fundraiser could make a huge difference to his family. Best wishes to Todd and his daughter for a swift and full recovery.

 

Done. It's fast and easy.

 

Done.
Never met the guy, but darn, how can you not help a Delta brother like this out?
Godspeed, Mr. Hornbuckle.

 

Done.

I flew with Todd on the ER. Great guy!