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48 °F 5 Day Forecast Friday, November 28, 2003 --> Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | eSouthernOregon | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find a Rental Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Email Story to a Friend October 30, 2003 Aviator in critical condition after private plane crashes By SARAH LEMON Mail Tribune Planes are Ronnie Coffman’s passion, but a flying lesson in his World War II era military craft turned deadly Tuesday. Coffman, 57, of Central Point, was in critical condition Wednesday after his single-engine T-28B crashed near Hornbrook, Calif. His instructor, 64-year-old John Albert Herlihy of Mount Shasta, was killed. The plane went down just before 3 p.m. Tuesday, about 15 minutes after taking off from the Siskiyou County Airport near Montague, said officials with the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Department. Witnesses told investigators that the plane appeared to have mechanical problems before it crashed. The cause of the crash, however, remained under investigation Wednesday, said officials with the National Transportation Safety Board. Both Coffman and Herlihy were found seat-belted inside the plane, Coffman in the front seat and Herlihy behind. The plane has controls in both positions, and both men are licensed pilots. However, it was unclear Wednesday which man had control of the craft at the time of the crash, said Patrick Jones of the NTSB. Advertisement Rescue crews pronounced Herlihy dead at the scene. Coffman was taken in a Mercy Flights helicopter to Providence Medford Medical Center where he remained in the critical care unit Wednesday. Coffman is described as an experienced pilot who also owns Medford Air Service. Sharing a facility with Superior Air Charter at the Medford airport, Medford Air sells fuel, maintenance and charter services. The company also is a flight school and pilot testing center. Purchased about three years ago, the business grew out of Coffman’s love of flying. The Coffmans eventually remodeled the 1940s-era hangar to accommodate the largest storage and maintenance area for planes in Medford. "Planes are his great passion. He loves to fly," said his wife, Dee Coffman. Coffman was out for a lesson in his T-28B when it crashed Tuesday, according to Siskiyou County authorities. Herlihy reportedly was a certified instructor for the plane, formerly used to train Navy pilots during World War II. All such models are now in museums or privately owned, Jones said. Coffman registered his plane, categorized as an exhibition craft, in 2000 with the Federal Aviation Administration. Coffman also owns a Boeing E75, a single-engine acrobatic plane. Coffman is an engineer retired from Qualcomm, the San Diego-based telecommunications company. Dee Coffman is a former Qualcomm chief financial officer and a member of the company’s board of directors. The couple is involved with real estate investment and developing. They moved to the Rogue Valley in 1994. In light of Coffman’s condition, friends and family chose to issue a written statement from Medford Air Service Wednesday, expressing sympathy for Herlihy’s family and requesting prayers for Coffman’s recovery. Reach reporter Sarah Lemon at 776-4487, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback 3 WEEKS FREE! ADVERTISERS SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Real Estate Showcase Food for Thought Hike of the Week Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Openings Prime Times