5 from Suburbs Die as Plane Crashes, Burns in Arizona
Five suburban residents on a business trip to the West Coast were killed late Friday when their small plane crashed seconds after takeoff from the Grand Canyon National Airport, Ariz.
The victims were:
Dr. Merrill Shepro, 47, of 281 Bloomingbank Rd., Riverside, the pilot and president of Scientific Communications, a cable television company.
William Vickers, 46, of 737 S. Waiola St., La Grange, the copilot and president of Vickers Co., a carton package firm.
Cable Firm Technician
Mrs. Margaret C. Nejdl, 28, of 620 Harrison St., Oak Park, a technician with the cable firm.
Martin Rutsay, 27, of 1480 Crestwood Ct., Aurora, an employee of the cable firm.
The plane exploded on impact in a wooded area near the airport, which is 9 miles south of the canyon rim near Tusayan, Ariz.
The plane had landed earlier because of engine trouble. Before it took off it was loaded with 200 gallons of fuel.
A fire caused by the explosion burned about an acre of pine forest. It was put out by Tusayan firemen and United States Forest Service employes.
"Everything was on fire and the plane was demolished," said Jack Phillips, airport manager.
The plane left Midway Airport early Friday and was on the way to San Francisco, where the group was to attend a cable televisionm meeting.
Testified Against Regulation
Dr. Shepro, whose company has applications for cable-TV franchised pending in 70 Illinois communities, testified against 5 rate-regulations of the industry early this month at an Illinois Commerce Commission hearing.
Vickers was a member of Dr. Shepro's Scientific Communications Co., having joined the group recently in an advisory capacity.
Dr. Shepro is survived by his widow, Jeanne, and three sons, Merrill Jr., 17, Robert, 16, and James, 9,
Vickers is survived by his widow, Elizabeth; two daughters, Sharon, 22, and Nancy, 20 a son, William Jr., 19; and a brother, Charles.
2 Young Daughters Survive Rutsay, a systems engineer for Scientific Communications, is survived by his widow, Patricia; two daughters Christine, 2, and Caren, 10 months; his father, Martin.
Mrs. Nejdl is survived by her daughter, Nadine, 6, and her mother, Mrs. Leonard Palmer and husband, Frank.
Robert Kostro, a bachelor, was a film production manager and photographer for the cable television firm.
- Chicago Tribune (ILLINOIS),
April 18, 1971
Five suburban residents on a business trip to the West Coast were killed late Friday when their small plane crashed seconds after takeoff from the Grand Canyon National Airport, Ariz.
The victims were:
Dr. Merrill Shepro, 47, of 281 Bloomingbank Rd., Riverside, the pilot and president of Scientific Communications, a cable television company.
William Vickers, 46, of 737 S. Waiola St., La Grange, the copilot and president of Vickers Co., a carton package firm.
Cable Firm Technician
Mrs. Margaret C. Nejdl, 28, of 620 Harrison St., Oak Park, a technician with the cable firm.
Martin Rutsay, 27, of 1480 Crestwood Ct., Aurora, an employee of the cable firm.
The plane exploded on impact in a wooded area near the airport, which is 9 miles south of the canyon rim near Tusayan, Ariz.
The plane had landed earlier because of engine trouble. Before it took off it was loaded with 200 gallons of fuel.
A fire caused by the explosion burned about an acre of pine forest. It was put out by Tusayan firemen and United States Forest Service employes.
"Everything was on fire and the plane was demolished," said Jack Phillips, airport manager.
The plane left Midway Airport early Friday and was on the way to San Francisco, where the group was to attend a cable televisionm meeting.
Testified Against Regulation
Dr. Shepro, whose company has applications for cable-TV franchised pending in 70 Illinois communities, testified against 5 rate-regulations of the industry early this month at an Illinois Commerce Commission hearing.
Vickers was a member of Dr. Shepro's Scientific Communications Co., having joined the group recently in an advisory capacity.
Dr. Shepro is survived by his widow, Jeanne, and three sons, Merrill Jr., 17, Robert, 16, and James, 9,
Vickers is survived by his widow, Elizabeth; two daughters, Sharon, 22, and Nancy, 20 a son, William Jr., 19; and a brother, Charles.
2 Young Daughters Survive Rutsay, a systems engineer for Scientific Communications, is survived by his widow, Patricia; two daughters Christine, 2, and Caren, 10 months; his father, Martin.
Mrs. Nejdl is survived by her daughter, Nadine, 6, and her mother, Mrs. Leonard Palmer and husband, Frank.
Robert Kostro, a bachelor, was a film production manager and photographer for the cable television firm.
- Chicago Tribune (ILLINOIS),
April 18, 1971
5 from Suburbs Die as Plane Crashes, Burns in Arizona
Five suburban residents on a business trip to the West Coast were killed late Friday when their small plane crashed seconds after takeoff from the Grand Canyon National Airport, Ariz.
The victims were:
Dr. Merrill Shepro, 47, of 281 Bloomingbank Rd., Riverside, the pilot and president of Scientific Communications, a cable television company.
William Vickers, 46, of 737 S. Waiola St., La Grange, the copilot and president of Vickers Co., a carton package firm.
Cable Firm Technician
Mrs. Margaret C. Nejdl, 28, of 620 Harrison St., Oak Park, a technician with the cable firm.
Martin Rutsay, 27, of 1480 Crestwood Ct., Aurora, an employee of the cable firm.
The plane exploded on impact in a wooded area near the airport, which is 9 miles south of the canyon rim near Tusayan, Ariz.
The plane had landed earlier because of engine trouble. Before it took off it was loaded with 200 gallons of fuel.
A fire caused by the explosion burned about an acre of pine forest. It was put out by Tusayan firemen and United States Forest Service employes.
"Everything was on fire and the plane was demolished," said Jack Phillips, airport manager.
The plane left Midway Airport early Friday and was on the way to San Francisco, where the group was to attend a cable televisionm meeting.
Testified Against Regulation
Dr. Shepro, whose company has applications for cable-TV franchised pending in 70 Illinois communities, testified against 5 rate-regulations of the industry early this month at an Illinois Commerce Commission hearing.
Vickers was a member of Dr. Shepro's Scientific Communications Co., having joined the group recently in an advisory capacity.
Dr. Shepro is survived by his widow, Jeanne, and three sons, Merrill Jr., 17, Robert, 16, and James, 9,
Vickers is survived by his widow, Elizabeth; two daughters, Sharon, 22, and Nancy, 20 a son, William Jr., 19; and a brother, Charles.
2 Young Daughters Survive Rutsay, a systems engineer for Scientific Communications, is survived by his widow, Patricia; two daughters Christine, 2, and Caren, 10 months; his father, Martin.
Mrs. Nejdl is survived by her daughter, Nadine, 6, and her mother, Mrs. Leonard Palmer and husband, Frank.
Robert Kostro, a bachelor, was a film production manager and photographer for the cable television firm.
- Chicago Tribune (ILLINOIS),
April 18, 1971
Five suburban residents on a business trip to the West Coast were killed late Friday when their small plane crashed seconds after takeoff from the Grand Canyon National Airport, Ariz.
The victims were:
Dr. Merrill Shepro, 47, of 281 Bloomingbank Rd., Riverside, the pilot and president of Scientific Communications, a cable television company.
William Vickers, 46, of 737 S. Waiola St., La Grange, the copilot and president of Vickers Co., a carton package firm.
Cable Firm Technician
Mrs. Margaret C. Nejdl, 28, of 620 Harrison St., Oak Park, a technician with the cable firm.
Martin Rutsay, 27, of 1480 Crestwood Ct., Aurora, an employee of the cable firm.
The plane exploded on impact in a wooded area near the airport, which is 9 miles south of the canyon rim near Tusayan, Ariz.
The plane had landed earlier because of engine trouble. Before it took off it was loaded with 200 gallons of fuel.
A fire caused by the explosion burned about an acre of pine forest. It was put out by Tusayan firemen and United States Forest Service employes.
"Everything was on fire and the plane was demolished," said Jack Phillips, airport manager.
The plane left Midway Airport early Friday and was on the way to San Francisco, where the group was to attend a cable televisionm meeting.
Testified Against Regulation
Dr. Shepro, whose company has applications for cable-TV franchised pending in 70 Illinois communities, testified against 5 rate-regulations of the industry early this month at an Illinois Commerce Commission hearing.
Vickers was a member of Dr. Shepro's Scientific Communications Co., having joined the group recently in an advisory capacity.
Dr. Shepro is survived by his widow, Jeanne, and three sons, Merrill Jr., 17, Robert, 16, and James, 9,
Vickers is survived by his widow, Elizabeth; two daughters, Sharon, 22, and Nancy, 20 a son, William Jr., 19; and a brother, Charles.
2 Young Daughters Survive Rutsay, a systems engineer for Scientific Communications, is survived by his widow, Patricia; two daughters Christine, 2, and Caren, 10 months; his father, Martin.
Mrs. Nejdl is survived by her daughter, Nadine, 6, and her mother, Mrs. Leonard Palmer and husband, Frank.
Robert Kostro, a bachelor, was a film production manager and photographer for the cable television firm.
- Chicago Tribune (ILLINOIS),
April 18, 1971
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