Travers Survives Crash
Those were Glen Travers’ words after surviving a crash that could have taken his life and the lives of his two sons. On October 22, 1983, a Beechcraft 58P Baron lifted off from Delaware Air Park. On board were six people, including Glen Travers (32), and his sons Chris (9) and John (7). The family was traveling on business and shortly after takeoff, the aircraft lost power and began drifting to the left. The plane clipped trees and went down hard, causing some passengers to be knocked unconscious. One woman suffered back injuries and facial cuts, while the Baron's pilot was in critical condition. A Medvec helicopter and ambulance were used to transport the injured to the hospital. The doors jammed and fuel was everywhere. It could have ended in fire and tragedy.
But fortunately, all six onboard survived and recovered.
As one of the passengers mentioned in the newspaper, "the plane's tanks were half-full and that the 100 gallons of fuel could have exploded.” Firefighters from Cheswold Fire Co. had to hose the plane down for a half-hour after the crash.
A pilot from Dover, William J. Woodhouse, had just landed at the air park before the Baron took-off. Woodhouse watched as the plane rose off the ground and "dropped something black, possibly a tire, from the bottom". It appeared that the Baron's pilot knew he had lost landing gear and tried to pull the plane too abruptly.
"He just came up and his tail end started ripping through the trees." Woodhouse said.
The wrecked Beech Baron created a path of broken trees in its wake, having lost one of its engines and parts of its fuselage.
"The trees softened the impact of the crash and may have saved the lives of the passengers." One of the occupants stated.
It was an experience the Travers family never expected to be part of, but that day gave them something invaluable. Perspective.
"This accident was a learning opportunity and shaped who we are today," says Chris Travers, Partner at Travers Aviation Insurance. "We dedicate every day to making sure that our pilots and their families are protected."
