Nancy Lynn

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Nancy A. Lynn

Nancy Lynn in her Extra 300 aerobatic airplane.
Born Dayton, Ohio
Died October 14, 2006
Culpeper, Virginia
Cause of death plane crash
Nationality United States
Education Denison University
Occupation Aerobatic pilot
Flight school instructor
Motivational speaker
Employer Lynn Aviation, Inc.
Spouse(s) Scott Muntean
Children Pete Muntean
Website
www.lynnaviation.com

Nancy A. Lynn (c. 1956 – October 14, 2006) was born in Dayton, Ohio and is a graduate of Denison University. An entrepreneur, public speaker, actor, and pilot, Lynn is most well known for her role as an aerobatic pilot and flight instructor. Lynn owned and operated Lynn Aviation, an aerobatic flight school located at the Bay Bridge Airport in Stevensville, Maryland with her husband Scott Muntean and son Pete.[1][2]

Contents

[edit] Career

After graduating from Denison University, Lynn began working for Proctor and Gamble in the 1980s, and became one of the first women to hold a position as manufacturing plant manager.[1][3] While still working as a plant manager, Lynn began taking commercial flight lessons in 1988 and soon discovered a passion for aerobatic flight.[4] After a year of lessons, Lynn earned the additional rating, quit her job with Proctor and Gamble, cashed in her pension plan, and bought a Pitts S-2B aerobatic biplane.[4] At the time, Lynn was one of the only women flying in air shows and remained until her death one of the 7% of all pilots who are female.[5][6] In addition to her job as a flight instructor, during which she earned over three thousand hours of aerobatic flight, Lynn worked as a consultant and actor for safety videos released by the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association[2][4] and hosted segments of the program "Wing Tips" on Discovery Wings.[4][7] Lynn also relayed her experiences in the cockpit as a motivational speaker for children, civic groups, and businesses.[1][2][7][8]

Lynn's skill as a pilot earned her a display at the International Women's Air & Space Museum.[9] The exhibit, titled "Nancy Lynn: Inspiration Was Her Mission" covers Lynn's life and career as a female pilot and remained on display through September 2007.[9] Lynn is also featured in Above and Beyond:100 years of Women in Aviation, an award-winning documentary produced by Art-Reach International.[4][10]

[edit] Culpeper Airfest crash

On October 14, 2006, Nancy Lynn was flying her Extra Flugzeugbau GMBH 300 in the Culpeper Airfest at the Culpeper Regional Airport (CJR), Culpeper, Virginia.[1][5] The only female pilot in the show, Lynn had been flying for approximately 6 to 7 minutes when her plane crashed alongside Runway 22.[11] The crash created a 950 foot path, which ended 50 feet from the edge of the runway.[11] At the time of the crash, Lynn was reportedly flying a series of flat spins, during which the left wingtip struck the ground.[1][12] The aircraft was sent over an embankment, landing upside down and on fire.[12] Rescue crews, along with Lynn's son Pete who had been narrating her flight, rushed to the scene and were able to cut Lynn from the badly damaged and burned aircraft.[1][5][12] Lynn was flown to a local hospital with burns covering 90% of her body. She was pronounced dead later that same night.[12]

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)'s investigation showed that the propeller had been shattered on impact, but no evidence of mechanical engine failure existed.[11] Witnesses and video footage of the accident indicated Lynn was flying at a constant engine power throughout the maneuver and subsequent accident sequence.[11] Although the NTSB investigation didn't provide a cause of the accident, Lynn's son Pete has stated she simply flew too low and was unable to pull out of the maneuver.[5]

The following year, in October 2007, Culpeper County’s Air Fest was held in memory of Lynn, with the show's theme billed as "A tribute to Nancy Lynn".[13]

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Gaffney, Timothy (2006-10-14). "Air Show Pilot Nancy Lynn dies". Dayton Daily News. Retrieved on 2007-08-11.
  2. ^ a b c "Accident claims aerobatic star Nancy Lynn". AOPA (2006-10-19). Retrieved on 2007-08-11.
  3. ^ "Head over Heels", CBS News Sunday Morning. Producer: Alan Golds and Editor: David Bhagat, CBS. Retrieved on 2007-08-11.
  4. ^ a b c d e "About Lynn". Lynn Aviation. Archived from the original on 2006-12-02. Retrieved on 2007-08-11.
  5. ^ a b c d "A Son Mourns His Stunt-Pilot Mother". CBS (2006-11-12). Retrieved on 2007-08-11.
  6. ^ Bour, Alison: "Nancy Lynn" Daytona Air Show. Retrieved on 2007-08-12.
  7. ^ a b Jarboe, Kathleen (2004-10-01). "Risks in the wild blue yonder", The Daily Record: Volume: 5. Retrieved on 2007-08-12. 
  8. ^ "Death in the Afternoon". AOPA (May 2005). Retrieved on 2007-08-11.
  9. ^ a b International Women's Air & Space Museum. "Now Open!", Nancy Lynn: Inspiration Was Her Mission. Retrieved on 2007-08-12.
  10. ^ Art-Reach International: "Above and Beyond: 100 years of Women in Aviation" (documentary). Retrieved on 2007-08-10.
  11. ^ a b c d Cox, Paul R. (2006-10-14). "National Transportation Safety Board Preliminary Report - ID#NYC07FA007" (PDF). NTSB. Retrieved on 2007-08-12.
  12. ^ a b c d Franklin, Steve (2006-10-15). "Pilot killed at Culpeper Air Fest". Times Community Newspapers. Retrieved on 2007-08-12.
  13. ^ Mitchell, Liz (2007-10-12). "Air Fest in Lynn's honor". The Culpeper Star-Exponent. Retrieved on 2007-10-18.
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nancy_Lynn"
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