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re: Anyone at Northwestern When Jim Croce's Plane Crashed?

Posted on 5/29/14 at 1:34 pm to
Posted by Ace Midnight
Between sanity and madness
Member since Dec 2006
89790 posts
Posted on 5/29/14 at 1:34 pm to
If somebody wants to play detective in here and put 2 and 2 together - I'm not all that worried about it.
This post was edited on 5/29/14 at 4:14 pm
Posted by 777Tiger
Member since Mar 2011
73856 posts
Posted on 5/29/14 at 1:34 pm to
quote:

local law enforcement was tipped off that Croce and his band had weed on them

I think the shocker, especially at the time, would be if they didn't have weed on them, it's more like downwind takeoff, poor visibility, and loss of situational awareness by the pilot
Posted by chickman1313
Mandeville
Member since Dec 2007
4922 posts
Posted on 5/29/14 at 1:37 pm to
quote:

Off 28W on the way to the airbase.


towards Rapides CC?

quote:

If he was a drinking man, quite likely.


definitley, and a major pool player

quote:

LOTS of brawling at times


my dad was probably involved, i'll have to ask him about it
Posted by USMCTiger03
Member since Sep 2007
71176 posts
Posted on 5/29/14 at 1:38 pm to
Good times.
This post was edited on 5/29/14 at 1:50 pm
Posted by JEAUXBLEAUX
Bayonne, NJ
Member since May 2006
55358 posts
Posted on 5/29/14 at 1:39 pm to
He was from Chester, PA a working class town about 10 miles south of Philly. Oil refining town.
Posted by Ace Midnight
Between sanity and madness
Member since Dec 2006
89790 posts
Posted on 5/29/14 at 1:40 pm to
(no message)
This post was edited on 5/29/14 at 1:44 pm
Posted by ElderTiger
Planet Earth
Member since Dec 2010
7047 posts
Posted on 5/29/14 at 1:41 pm to
quote:

I think the shocker, especially at the time, would be if they didn't have weed on them, it's more like downwind takeoff, poor visibility, and loss of situational awareness by the pilot


Which gives some credibility to the story I mentioned.

Things were a lot different in 1973 than they are now as far as drugs, law enforcement's attitudes, aviation issues , etc.
Still, Jim Croce was a great talent and died way too young. I still listen to his music a lot.
Posted by redstick13
Lower Saxony
Member since Feb 2007
38712 posts
Posted on 5/29/14 at 1:41 pm to
Dude probably couldn't afford good pilots with the record companies stealing all his money.

Reading the details it sounds like he basically backed into his parents car he parked behind himself.
Posted by USMCTiger03
Member since Sep 2007
71176 posts
Posted on 5/29/14 at 1:42 pm to
Sent.
Posted by Clyde Tipton
Planet Earth
Member since Dec 2007
38877 posts
Posted on 5/29/14 at 1:44 pm to
quote:

VernonPLSUfan



You, or anyone else for that matter, ever go to the bar at the North end of 117 where it runs into Hwy 6 just outside of Nachitoches? It was called Bedrock most recently, but has been torn down in the last couple of years.

My mom said they used to drive up there from Leesville and saw Wilson Pickett play there one time in the 70's.
Posted by Blizzard of Chizz
Member since Apr 2012
19164 posts
Posted on 5/29/14 at 1:45 pm to
quote:

they made a hasty takeoff and the pilot lost control of the plane and it crashed.


The pilot didn't lose control of the plane in a hasty takeoff. It clipped a pecan tree at the end of the runway and crashed. It also happened to be the only tree in the area for hundreds of yards. Here's a pic of the airport. The tree has since been removed.
Posted by VetteGuy
Member since Feb 2008
28714 posts
Posted on 5/29/14 at 1:47 pm to
Don't forget Rapid Roy.

My theme song.
Posted by redstick13
Lower Saxony
Member since Feb 2007
38712 posts
Posted on 5/29/14 at 1:47 pm to
How do you crash on that? I fly in and out of Aspen. I don't see how there aren't more crashes there.
Posted by Tchefuncte Tiger
Bat'n Rudge
Member since Oct 2004
57589 posts
Posted on 5/29/14 at 1:48 pm to
My brother was a student at NSU at the time. I think he still has the news clippings from the Natchitoches paper (or the Current Sauce) of the event.
Posted by 777Tiger
Member since Mar 2011
73856 posts
Posted on 5/29/14 at 1:51 pm to
quote:

The tree has since been removed.

a lot of obstructions have been removed since then(pecan tree was removed that night,) that airport didn't look much like that at the time, it was kind of a tight fit, considering they didn't have many constraints when it was built, but there were obstructions on one end of the primary runway that encouraged downwind takeoffs, and it's been a long time, but IIRC, the plane was either at or slightly above max gross takeoff weight
Posted by TomballTiger
Htown
Member since Jan 2007
3804 posts
Posted on 5/29/14 at 1:54 pm to
quote:

Bad Bad Leroy Brown for the win


Don't Mess Around With Jim
Posted by Blizzard of Chizz
Member since Apr 2012
19164 posts
Posted on 5/29/14 at 1:55 pm to
failed to gain enough altitude and failed to maneuver to avoid it. It was dark so it's possible he misjudged it or failed to see it. It's also possible that the pilot had a heart attack shortly after takeoff. The pilot had coronary artery disease and ran 3 miles to the airport from a hotel. Really not sure why he didn't call a cab instead of running the three miles to the airport.
Posted by Blizzard of Chizz
Member since Apr 2012
19164 posts
Posted on 5/29/14 at 1:58 pm to
quote:

777Tiger


It was a pretty senseless death when you consider what contributed to the crash.
Posted by redstick13
Lower Saxony
Member since Feb 2007
38712 posts
Posted on 5/29/14 at 2:00 pm to
Did they have cabs in Natchitoches back then?
This post was edited on 5/29/14 at 2:00 pm
Posted by VernonPLSUfan
Leesville, La.
Member since Sep 2007
16022 posts
Posted on 5/29/14 at 2:01 pm to
It was a convienance store and added on to the back and became a bar. Never stopped, but remember it being packed while driving by. Had an employee roll up there one night after work and crashed coming home early one morning. I believe she was underage. She's an attorney here now.
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