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RhondaLea

C172 Crash-Florida Keys

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I first met Bruno in Sebastian as he went through AFF. He was handsome, intelligent, funny, and an eager student.

The next time I saw him was 2 years later.. he'd amassed 800+ jumps, several ratings, and was working in the skydiving trade.
He was a great help to us at our fledgling DZ, organizing jumps and parties alike. His unceasing enthusiam was contagious.
He was a great friend, and one of those personalities that makes this sport so wonderful. He will be sorely missed by us all.
God's speed, Bruno, I hope you are soaring.
Laurel
Laurel Nichols
_______________________________________

If it weren't for physics and law enforcement, I'd be unstoppable.-Anon

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Un-fucking-believable! I just saw Egon at skyfest. The last time I saw him was at the Byron Boogie and I had been out of the loop for while. I even got a couple jumps in with him. This is such bullshit. I knew when I got ito this sport I would lose some friends with time but it still hurts when it happens and I havent been able to get used to it like a few people said I would. Call me a wimp I guess. The boogies I go to wont be the same without the South African flirtin with all the hot ladies. He was a total joy to be around. To his close friends and family I grieve with you. Take care my friend. The Beer light is on!
If you find yourself in a fair fight, your tactics suck!

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Yeah....

I remember standing at the fire between you and Piers, our accents sounding normal in Eloy, dispite being far from home. People live on in our minds eye, always smiling, never aging.

BSBD.

t
It's the year of the Pig.

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This is all the FAA has:

********************************************************************************
** Report created 8/1/2005 Record 3 **
********************************************************************************

IDENTIFICATION
Regis#: 65982 Make/Model: C172 Description: 172, P172, R172, Skyhawk, Hawk XP, Cutla
Date: 07/31/2005 Time: 0118

Event Type: Accident Highest Injury: Fatal Mid Air: N Missing: N
Damage: Substantial

LOCATION
City: KEY WEST State: FL Country: US

DESCRIPTION
ACFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES, THERE WERE THREE, POSSIBLY FOUR
PERSONS ON BOARD, THREE WERE FATALLY INJURED AND ONE UNKNOWN, KEY WEST, FL

INJURY DATA Total Fatal: 3
# Crew: 2 Fat: 2 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
# Pass: 2 Fat: 1 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk: 1
# Grnd: Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:

WEATHER: EYW 0053Z 10011 10 CLR 30/23

OTHER DATA

Departed: KEY WEST, FL Dep Date: Dep. Time:
Destination: MARATHON, FL Flt Plan: Wx Briefing:
Last Radio Cont: ON DEPARTURE
Last Clearance:

FAA FSDO: MIAMI, FL (SO19) Entry date: 08/01/2005

"You did what?!?!"

MUFF #3722, TDSM #72, Orfun #26, Nachos Rodriguez

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isnt it nice they cant even spell krystals name right?

i had the chance to meet egon truly for the first time at the cinco de mayo boogie in SC...what an awesome man.

As far as krystal, she was my VP of the ERAU Skydiving club the last two years and one hell of a person. She was always doing a million things a minute but if you needed help, shed drop everything for you. The world is at a huge loss without here.

To all the families, i will keep everyone in my prayers. Remember to always love for you will never know when there wont be that chance.

Attatched is a picture of Krystal and myself after we did a demo jump into ERAU tihs past spring semester

"Airborne all the way"
EL Cantador Rodriguez

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This is just unbelievable news - just heard it today from a mutual skydiving friend. Egon, Piers and I go back many years - Egon and I did AFF together. Last year Egon stayed with me on his tour of NZ !

Bro, am going to miss your emails ! Your infectious laugh ! The good times we had. All those women .......... man I never could understand how you managed to do it !!

This hurts big time.

Doc Rich (ex Skydive Citrusdal)
---------------------------------------
Everything that happens to you in life is your teacher. The secret is to learn to sit at the feet of your life and be taught.

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It is hard to believe I won't get "hit on" anymore by such a sweetheart. We have lost some wonderful people in this tragedy. My condolences to those who were close friends and family. Remember the good times and share them with those of us who were boogie pals.

Fly free my friends.

--
Hot Mama
At least you know where you stand even if it is in a pile of shit.

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I was completely floored when I heard this news! I have worked with Egon and Piers for over 9 months and they were both truly remarkable people. Piers was just a wiz at anything he set his mind to, a genius amidst his chaos. Egon was a gem that was one of those rare people who understood everyone. Above all else I considered them both true friends, I enjoyed and learned from every moment I spent with both of them and will miss them dearly.

Although I did not know him as well, I met Bruno through Egon and Piers and he was of the same quality and a blast to be with. Krystal I knew on a very limited basis but she was also someone who had so much to look forward to in life, extremely bright and determined.

I am pretty sure they went to the Keys to look at a boat that Egon and Piers had been talking about. Egon mentioned last week that they were heading down there. It was their goal to sail around the world together and I still remember the joy in Egon’s smile when he spoke about it! I will miss all of your smiles.

My condolences to all the families and the vast network of friends involved around the world!

I am deeply saddened…and will miss the 24 Volt Marlboro Reds in 32 degree weather over a cup of Coffee in front of RWS at 8 AM while discussing industry politics and rig design.
-dvg

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I am pretty sure they went to the Keys to look at a boat that Egon and Piers had been talking about. Egon mentioned last week that they were heading down there. It was their goal to sail around the world together and I still remember the joy in Egon’s smile when he spoke about it! I will miss all of your smiles.



I was under the same impressions around the same time frame. Egon told me he had been planning to sail around the world t for years :(

I am however, thankful for all of the time I had with both of them. They were truely an inspiration on how to live life, love others, and be happy.
Tunnel Pink Mafia Delegate
www.TunnelPinkMafia.com

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Thanks Laurel for the words...I don't knwo what to say.......I first met Bruno in Statesboro He was a great help to us at the DZ, organizing jumps and parties alike. His unceasing enthusiam was contagious.
He was one of those personalities that makes this sport so wonderful. He will be sorely missed by us all.
God's speed, Bruno, I hope you are soaring.
Andy

b'bye.....
My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

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Thanks Laurel for the words...I don't knwo what to say.......I first met Bruno in Statesboro He was a great help to us at the DZ, organizing jumps and parties alike. His unceasing enthusiam was contagious.
He was one of those personalities that makes this sport so wonderful. He will be sorely missed by us all.
God's speed, Bruno, I hope you are soaring.
Andy

b'bye.....



I thought that the weekend of William and Gus was bad...dammit this is getting really tough.[:/] Hell of a year for Delandians.[:/] My parents once again are trying to stear me away from the sport...but I know Gus nor Kris would want me to stop...dammit it sux though..I miss them sooooo much:(





_________________________________________

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And here is one of Piers
How can I even try describe such a person, in a few lines, so I won't. Ok, maybe one short sentence does it best. ... My Chom.
Enough said.

Taken at PPC South Africa
"Africa is not for sissies"

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That picture brings back so many memories of Maritzburg.

Piers was a huge inspiration when I was battling on student status and couldn't for the life of me do a stable 3 second delay. When I was on the verge of quitting, I remember him sitting me down in the pub after a good many beers and telling me: "Progression is the hardest thing you'll ever do, and it's a baptism of fire. But if you finish, you'll never look back."

I think it was some of the best advice I got in the early days and have passed it on to many others. That was probably the single most influential comment in me not giving up the sport.

It's such a terrible loss, especially to a small club like PPC where it really is a weekend family, but there is comfort in the fact that Piers lived life to the full and didn't waste a moment. So rather than be upset, we should celebrate everything that he lived for.

Blue skies forever.
____________________________
"If there is doubt, there is no doubt." - Tonto

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They showed Egon's and Piers' pictures on the tv this morning and quoted the RW website.

edited for inaccurate media report.
She is Da Man, and you better not mess with Da Man,
because she will lay some keepdown on you faster than, well, really fast. ~Billvon

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Bruno was an amazing friend who never failed to make me smile.....from our constant bump ins and BIG HUGS as we both traveled the circuit, to our laughs about both being "jump whores" because of our simple love of being in the air. We seemed to be on the same track, jumpwise, skillwise and in our canopy progression. I have some amazing footage from the Keys Boogie last year that I will now treasure for many years to come for it symbolizes all I remember about my friend........"It's All About The Mandrin".

If you have a chance to get your hands on Dano's DVD from Keys Boogie 2004 check it out for sure. Or stop by the Sebastian website under events because they've got some of the footage posted. He is there, bigger than life, with that contagious smile that will forever reflect in my memory.

See you in the sky again soon Bruno!

Dreams become reality, one choice at a time...

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They also said that the Coast Guard has called off the search.

The search was called off for the day and has not ended as reported in the press. The search resumed this morning. There are still three agencies searching for the plane: U.S. Cost Guard, Monroe County Sherriff's Department and Florida Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Time and pressure will always show you who a person really is!

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"If you are in this sport long enough you will know someone who does not make it."

I hate it when they are right, even when it is not a 'true' skydiving accident.

I am sure all were wonderful people, but I knew Egon from buying my rig. He went the extra mile for me and knew me by name. I could tell he was a great person.

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[B]Plane's whereabouts a mystery until wreckage was discovered[/B]

Subhed: Coast Guard releases names of victims

BY SCOTT FUSARO
KEYSNEWS.COM
Citizen Staff

When a small airplane with four people aboard crashed Saturday night shortly after takeoff from Key West International Airport, a Coast Guard crew was dispatched to the area, but ended the search after it was unable to verify that a crash had occurred, according to an agency spokesman.

Coast Guard spokesman Dana Warr acknowledged the agency received the report of a possible plane down, but said officials were unable to reach aviation officials at county airports to determine the status of the plane — the air tower at Key West International and aviation businesses that handle air traffic at the Florida Keys Marathon Airport were closed for the night. The Guard also was unable to contact an apparent witness who reported the crash to the Monroe County Sheriff's Office, said Warr.

A Coast Guard crew dispatched to the area was unable to locate any signs of an accident, he said.

It was not until a boater reported finding a section of an airplane wing the next morning between Key West and Boca Chica Key that a full search was launched.

By late Monday afternoon two bodies had been recovered, along with pieces of the plane.

The Coast Guard identified one of the recovered bodies as Igan Sussman. A second recovered male body is either Bruno Assman or Pierce Littleford, both of whom were believed to be aboard the plane, Warr said. The pilot, Crystal Koch of Valparaiso, Ind., has not been found, according to the agency. Victims' ages and hometowns, other than Koch's, were not available.

According to county aviation officials, the plane, a single-engine Cessna 172 belonging to a Melbourne leasing company, was flying by visual flight rules to Marathon, meaning the pilot guided the plane by sight and was not required to maintain contact with air traffic controllers.

However, Jim Brooks, a spokesman for the Naval Air Station Key West, whose air traffic controllers manage Key West airspace at night, said the pilot initially contacted the air station's control tower asking for a transponder code so the plane could be tracked.

A few minutes later, the controller received another call from the pilot asking for the transponder code again, and the controller again relayed the information, said Brooks.

When the controller still did not see the plane appear on his computer screen, he called the Key West airport asking if the plane was still on the ramp and was told that it was not, Brooks said. He then attempted to contact the Marathon airfield where the plane was scheduled to land before continuing on, but could not reach anybody. He then contacted civilian air traffic controllers at Miami International Airport to inform them of the situation.

About the same time, the Monroe County Sheriff's Office received a call from a man "who said he thought he had seen a plane crash" off Stock Island said Sheriff's spokeswoman Becky Herrin.

The call came in at 9:22 p.m., and the Sheriff's Office contacted the Coast Guard.

"That would be a routine thing for us to refer to the Coast Guard if it was in the water," said Herrin.

"We did the best to follow up the information we were given," Warr said. "This was treated as a plane crash, and they took the necessary steps and the necessary protocols," he added.

Brooks said many situations like this turn out to be benign.

"That's not uncommon for a private airplane because, she could have been on a different frequency. She could have gone up to Marathon, landed at a closed airport and gone into town," he said, noting that the plane that was not required to maintain contact with controllers during flight.

[email protected]

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