Pilot dies in Crash
A Fountaintown man was killed Monday when a goodbye gesture to friends apparently caused his single-engine airplane to crash into Lake Wawasee in northern Indiana.
Lewis H. Schlechtweg, 63, who lived on Ind. 9 just inside Hancock County at Route 1 Fountaintown was pronounced dead after police pulled his body from the plane's wreckage in about 15 feet of water Monday morning.
Kosciusko County Sheriff's Detective Tom Kitch said Schlechtweg had come to the lakes area for a weekend outing with some of his fellow Optimist Club members. The group spent the weekend at a friend's lakeside cottage and the Hancock County pilot had asked to be taken to Goshen airport about 7:30 a.m. Monday, Kitch said.
The detective said Schlechtweg had climbed into his Piper 110 two-seat aircraft and was headed home when the accident occurred.
Some of the Optimist group had remained at the lake and Schlechtweg is believed to have made a final pass over the lake to bid his friends goodbye.
Kitch said "He was dipping his wings as a signal to his friends, and the theory is that he dipped, lost his lift and went into the lake."
"Witnesses indicated there was no apparent engine malfunction", the detective added.
Whether the plane fell, or whether a wing may have clipped the water was uncertain.
Kitch's department received the call at 8:37 A.M. Monday and aided by an Indiana State Police helicopter--spotted the submerged wreckage shortly thereafter.
Using sheriff's department divers, Schlechtweg's body was recovered at 9:50 A.M. Kitch noted.
He said the plane was in about 15 feet of water in the lake's northwest corner--an area commonly referred to as Kale Island.
] "It's not a deep lake," Kitch said. He noted Wawasee had a maximum depth of 77 feet and an average depth of 6 feet.
Schlechtweg was intially taken to Harris Funeral Home, Syracuse, and was later transferred to Applegate Funeral Home in Lawrence, where arrangements are pending.
When this happened, my grandfather was very sick. No one told him about the accident of his brother Lewis. He found out the worst way possible. He had the television on and heard it on the news.
The air crash with the PIPER PA-28-180 happened on 6/23/1986 at 836 in SYRACUSE, INDIANA, USA, causing Destroyed damage to the Airplane. More details on the accident below:
•Date/Time: 6/23/1986 at 836 Eastern Standard Time
•Location: SYRACUSE, INDIANA, USA
•Aircraft: Airplane
•Make/Model: PIPER PA-28-180
•Damage: Destroyed
•Injuries: N/A
•Cause: THE ACFT CRASHED INTO A LAKE WHILE MAKING A FAREWELL LOW PASS AT FRIENDS ON THE LAKESHORE. HE CAME OVER THE LAKE TOWARD HIS FRIENDS AT SUCH A LOW ALT THAT HE HAD TO PULL UP TO GET OVER THE TREES. HE COMMENCED A STEEP RT TURN WHICH PROGRESSED INTO A D
http://aircrashed.com/accident/CHI86FET02.shtml
Indiana, Marriages, 1811-1959
Groom: Lewis H Schlechtweg
Groom's Race: White
Groom's Date of Birth: 09 Mar 1923
Groom's Place of Birth: , Union, Indiana
Groom's Residence: Connersville, , Indiana
Groom's Number of Marriage: once
Groom's Father: John L Schlechtweg
Groom's Mother: Maria Young
Bride: A Rosezetta Black
Bride's Race: White
Bride's Date of Birth: 30 Jul 1924
Bride's Place of Birth: , Decatur, Indiana
Bride's Residence: Connersville, , Indiana
Bride's Number of Marriage:
Bride's Father: Ernie Black
Bride's Mother: Lube Owens
Informant Name:
Date of License: 09 Jun 1947
County of License: Fayette
Date of Marriage: 11 Jun 1947
Place of Marriage: , Fayette, Indiana
Official:
Record Number:
Film Number: 1869794
Digital Folder Number: 4540523
Image Number: 00477
Number of Images: 1
Lube Owens should be Lula Owens
Uncle Lewis married first Anna Lee Honaker
July 26, 1941 Downard, Indiana
Lewis Harold Schlechtweg married June 9, 1947 Fayette County Indiana A. Rosezetta Black
Lewis H. Schlechtweg 63, Fountaintown, died Monday morning in an airplane crash at Lake Wawasee in northern Indiana. Born in Liberty, March 9, 1923, he was the son of John L. and Maria (Young) Schlechtweg. A former Wilkinson resident, he was a lieutenant governor of Indiana District for Optimist International, a member of the East Side Optimist Club, Indianapolis.
Mr. Schlechtweg was a colonel in the Confederate Air Force.
He was a former member of Wilkinson United Methodist Church and Hancock County Planning Commission. He had been president of Av- Med Collection Agency since 1974. Services will be at 7 p.m. Thursday at Appleget Lawrence Mortuary with Dr. Samuel Pugh a retired Christian Church minister officiating.
Survivors include his wife Rosezetta (Black) Schlechtweg a daughter Mrs. Karen Simpson; two sons Harold and Ronald Schlechtweg; three sisters Mrs. Mable Hunter, Mrs. Bertha Gilbert, Mrs. Mildred Hindbaugh, two brothers; William and Edward Schlechtweg; four grandchildren.
A Fountaintown man was killed Monday when a goodbye gesture to friends apparently caused his single-engine airplane to crash into Lake Wawasee in northern Indiana.
Lewis H. Schlechtweg, 63, who lived on Ind. 9 just inside Hancock County at Route 1 Fountaintown was pronounced dead after police pulled his body from the plane's wreckage in about 15 feet of water Monday morning.
Kosciusko County Sheriff's Detective Tom Kitch said Schlechtweg had come to the lakes area for a weekend outing with some of his fellow Optimist Club members. The group spent the weekend at a friend's lakeside cottage and the Hancock County pilot had asked to be taken to Goshen airport about 7:30 a.m. Monday, Kitch said.
The detective said Schlechtweg had climbed into his Piper 110 two-seat aircraft and was headed home when the accident occurred.
Some of the Optimist group had remained at the lake and Schlechtweg is believed to have made a final pass over the lake to bid his friends goodbye.
Kitch said "He was dipping his wings as a signal to his friends, and the theory is that he dipped, lost his lift and went into the lake."
"Witnesses indicated there was no apparent engine malfunction", the detective added.
Whether the plane fell, or whether a wing may have clipped the water was uncertain.
Kitch's department received the call at 8:37 A.M. Monday and aided by an Indiana State Police helicopter--spotted the submerged wreckage shortly thereafter.
Using sheriff's department divers, Schlechtweg's body was recovered at 9:50 A.M. Kitch noted.
He said the plane was in about 15 feet of water in the lake's northwest corner--an area commonly referred to as Kale Island.
] "It's not a deep lake," Kitch said. He noted Wawasee had a maximum depth of 77 feet and an average depth of 6 feet.
Schlechtweg was intially taken to Harris Funeral Home, Syracuse, and was later transferred to Applegate Funeral Home in Lawrence, where arrangements are pending.
When this happened, my grandfather was very sick. No one told him about the accident of his brother Lewis. He found out the worst way possible. He had the television on and heard it on the news.
The air crash with the PIPER PA-28-180 happened on 6/23/1986 at 836 in SYRACUSE, INDIANA, USA, causing Destroyed damage to the Airplane. More details on the accident below:
•Date/Time: 6/23/1986 at 836 Eastern Standard Time
•Location: SYRACUSE, INDIANA, USA
•Aircraft: Airplane
•Make/Model: PIPER PA-28-180
•Damage: Destroyed
•Injuries: N/A
•Cause: THE ACFT CRASHED INTO A LAKE WHILE MAKING A FAREWELL LOW PASS AT FRIENDS ON THE LAKESHORE. HE CAME OVER THE LAKE TOWARD HIS FRIENDS AT SUCH A LOW ALT THAT HE HAD TO PULL UP TO GET OVER THE TREES. HE COMMENCED A STEEP RT TURN WHICH PROGRESSED INTO A D
http://aircrashed.com/accident/CHI86FET02.shtml
Indiana, Marriages, 1811-1959
Groom: Lewis H Schlechtweg
Groom's Race: White
Groom's Date of Birth: 09 Mar 1923
Groom's Place of Birth: , Union, Indiana
Groom's Residence: Connersville, , Indiana
Groom's Number of Marriage: once
Groom's Father: John L Schlechtweg
Groom's Mother: Maria Young
Bride: A Rosezetta Black
Bride's Race: White
Bride's Date of Birth: 30 Jul 1924
Bride's Place of Birth: , Decatur, Indiana
Bride's Residence: Connersville, , Indiana
Bride's Number of Marriage:
Bride's Father: Ernie Black
Bride's Mother: Lube Owens
Informant Name:
Date of License: 09 Jun 1947
County of License: Fayette
Date of Marriage: 11 Jun 1947
Place of Marriage: , Fayette, Indiana
Official:
Record Number:
Film Number: 1869794
Digital Folder Number: 4540523
Image Number: 00477
Number of Images: 1
Lube Owens should be Lula Owens
Uncle Lewis married first Anna Lee Honaker
July 26, 1941 Downard, Indiana
Lewis Harold Schlechtweg married June 9, 1947 Fayette County Indiana A. Rosezetta Black
Lewis H. Schlechtweg 63, Fountaintown, died Monday morning in an airplane crash at Lake Wawasee in northern Indiana. Born in Liberty, March 9, 1923, he was the son of John L. and Maria (Young) Schlechtweg. A former Wilkinson resident, he was a lieutenant governor of Indiana District for Optimist International, a member of the East Side Optimist Club, Indianapolis.
Mr. Schlechtweg was a colonel in the Confederate Air Force.
He was a former member of Wilkinson United Methodist Church and Hancock County Planning Commission. He had been president of Av- Med Collection Agency since 1974. Services will be at 7 p.m. Thursday at Appleget Lawrence Mortuary with Dr. Samuel Pugh a retired Christian Church minister officiating.
Survivors include his wife Rosezetta (Black) Schlechtweg a daughter Mrs. Karen Simpson; two sons Harold and Ronald Schlechtweg; three sisters Mrs. Mable Hunter, Mrs. Bertha Gilbert, Mrs. Mildred Hindbaugh, two brothers; William and Edward Schlechtweg; four grandchildren.
Pilot dies in Crash
A Fountaintown man was killed Monday when a goodbye gesture to friends apparently caused his single-engine airplane to crash into Lake Wawasee in northern Indiana.
Lewis H. Schlechtweg, 63, who lived on Ind. 9 just inside Hancock County at Route 1 Fountaintown was pronounced dead after police pulled his body from the plane's wreckage in about 15 feet of water Monday morning.
Kosciusko County Sheriff's Detective Tom Kitch said Schlechtweg had come to the lakes area for a weekend outing with some of his fellow Optimist Club members. The group spent the weekend at a friend's lakeside cottage and the Hancock County pilot had asked to be taken to Goshen airport about 7:30 a.m. Monday, Kitch said.
The detective said Schlechtweg had climbed into his Piper 110 two-seat aircraft and was headed home when the accident occurred.
Some of the Optimist group had remained at the lake and Schlechtweg is believed to have made a final pass over the lake to bid his friends goodbye.
Kitch said "He was dipping his wings as a signal to his friends, and the theory is that he dipped, lost his lift and went into the lake."
"Witnesses indicated there was no apparent engine malfunction", the detective added.
Whether the plane fell, or whether a wing may have clipped the water was uncertain.
Kitch's department received the call at 8:37 A.M. Monday and aided by an Indiana State Police helicopter--spotted the submerged wreckage shortly thereafter.
Using sheriff's department divers, Schlechtweg's body was recovered at 9:50 A.M. Kitch noted.
He said the plane was in about 15 feet of water in the lake's northwest corner--an area commonly referred to as Kale Island.
] "It's not a deep lake," Kitch said. He noted Wawasee had a maximum depth of 77 feet and an average depth of 6 feet.
Schlechtweg was intially taken to Harris Funeral Home, Syracuse, and was later transferred to Applegate Funeral Home in Lawrence, where arrangements are pending.
When this happened, my grandfather was very sick. No one told him about the accident of his brother Lewis. He found out the worst way possible. He had the television on and heard it on the news.
The air crash with the PIPER PA-28-180 happened on 6/23/1986 at 836 in SYRACUSE, INDIANA, USA, causing Destroyed damage to the Airplane. More details on the accident below:
•Date/Time: 6/23/1986 at 836 Eastern Standard Time
•Location: SYRACUSE, INDIANA, USA
•Aircraft: Airplane
•Make/Model: PIPER PA-28-180
•Damage: Destroyed
•Injuries: N/A
•Cause: THE ACFT CRASHED INTO A LAKE WHILE MAKING A FAREWELL LOW PASS AT FRIENDS ON THE LAKESHORE. HE CAME OVER THE LAKE TOWARD HIS FRIENDS AT SUCH A LOW ALT THAT HE HAD TO PULL UP TO GET OVER THE TREES. HE COMMENCED A STEEP RT TURN WHICH PROGRESSED INTO A D
http://aircrashed.com/accident/CHI86FET02.shtml
Indiana, Marriages, 1811-1959
Groom: Lewis H Schlechtweg
Groom's Race: White
Groom's Date of Birth: 09 Mar 1923
Groom's Place of Birth: , Union, Indiana
Groom's Residence: Connersville, , Indiana
Groom's Number of Marriage: once
Groom's Father: John L Schlechtweg
Groom's Mother: Maria Young
Bride: A Rosezetta Black
Bride's Race: White
Bride's Date of Birth: 30 Jul 1924
Bride's Place of Birth: , Decatur, Indiana
Bride's Residence: Connersville, , Indiana
Bride's Number of Marriage:
Bride's Father: Ernie Black
Bride's Mother: Lube Owens
Informant Name:
Date of License: 09 Jun 1947
County of License: Fayette
Date of Marriage: 11 Jun 1947
Place of Marriage: , Fayette, Indiana
Official:
Record Number:
Film Number: 1869794
Digital Folder Number: 4540523
Image Number: 00477
Number of Images: 1
Lube Owens should be Lula Owens
Uncle Lewis married first Anna Lee Honaker
July 26, 1941 Downard, Indiana
Lewis Harold Schlechtweg married June 9, 1947 Fayette County Indiana A. Rosezetta Black
Lewis H. Schlechtweg 63, Fountaintown, died Monday morning in an airplane crash at Lake Wawasee in northern Indiana. Born in Liberty, March 9, 1923, he was the son of John L. and Maria (Young) Schlechtweg. A former Wilkinson resident, he was a lieutenant governor of Indiana District for Optimist International, a member of the East Side Optimist Club, Indianapolis.
Mr. Schlechtweg was a colonel in the Confederate Air Force.
He was a former member of Wilkinson United Methodist Church and Hancock County Planning Commission. He had been president of Av- Med Collection Agency since 1974. Services will be at 7 p.m. Thursday at Appleget Lawrence Mortuary with Dr. Samuel Pugh a retired Christian Church minister officiating.
Survivors include his wife Rosezetta (Black) Schlechtweg a daughter Mrs. Karen Simpson; two sons Harold and Ronald Schlechtweg; three sisters Mrs. Mable Hunter, Mrs. Bertha Gilbert, Mrs. Mildred Hindbaugh, two brothers; William and Edward Schlechtweg; four grandchildren.
A Fountaintown man was killed Monday when a goodbye gesture to friends apparently caused his single-engine airplane to crash into Lake Wawasee in northern Indiana.
Lewis H. Schlechtweg, 63, who lived on Ind. 9 just inside Hancock County at Route 1 Fountaintown was pronounced dead after police pulled his body from the plane's wreckage in about 15 feet of water Monday morning.
Kosciusko County Sheriff's Detective Tom Kitch said Schlechtweg had come to the lakes area for a weekend outing with some of his fellow Optimist Club members. The group spent the weekend at a friend's lakeside cottage and the Hancock County pilot had asked to be taken to Goshen airport about 7:30 a.m. Monday, Kitch said.
The detective said Schlechtweg had climbed into his Piper 110 two-seat aircraft and was headed home when the accident occurred.
Some of the Optimist group had remained at the lake and Schlechtweg is believed to have made a final pass over the lake to bid his friends goodbye.
Kitch said "He was dipping his wings as a signal to his friends, and the theory is that he dipped, lost his lift and went into the lake."
"Witnesses indicated there was no apparent engine malfunction", the detective added.
Whether the plane fell, or whether a wing may have clipped the water was uncertain.
Kitch's department received the call at 8:37 A.M. Monday and aided by an Indiana State Police helicopter--spotted the submerged wreckage shortly thereafter.
Using sheriff's department divers, Schlechtweg's body was recovered at 9:50 A.M. Kitch noted.
He said the plane was in about 15 feet of water in the lake's northwest corner--an area commonly referred to as Kale Island.
] "It's not a deep lake," Kitch said. He noted Wawasee had a maximum depth of 77 feet and an average depth of 6 feet.
Schlechtweg was intially taken to Harris Funeral Home, Syracuse, and was later transferred to Applegate Funeral Home in Lawrence, where arrangements are pending.
When this happened, my grandfather was very sick. No one told him about the accident of his brother Lewis. He found out the worst way possible. He had the television on and heard it on the news.
The air crash with the PIPER PA-28-180 happened on 6/23/1986 at 836 in SYRACUSE, INDIANA, USA, causing Destroyed damage to the Airplane. More details on the accident below:
•Date/Time: 6/23/1986 at 836 Eastern Standard Time
•Location: SYRACUSE, INDIANA, USA
•Aircraft: Airplane
•Make/Model: PIPER PA-28-180
•Damage: Destroyed
•Injuries: N/A
•Cause: THE ACFT CRASHED INTO A LAKE WHILE MAKING A FAREWELL LOW PASS AT FRIENDS ON THE LAKESHORE. HE CAME OVER THE LAKE TOWARD HIS FRIENDS AT SUCH A LOW ALT THAT HE HAD TO PULL UP TO GET OVER THE TREES. HE COMMENCED A STEEP RT TURN WHICH PROGRESSED INTO A D
http://aircrashed.com/accident/CHI86FET02.shtml
Indiana, Marriages, 1811-1959
Groom: Lewis H Schlechtweg
Groom's Race: White
Groom's Date of Birth: 09 Mar 1923
Groom's Place of Birth: , Union, Indiana
Groom's Residence: Connersville, , Indiana
Groom's Number of Marriage: once
Groom's Father: John L Schlechtweg
Groom's Mother: Maria Young
Bride: A Rosezetta Black
Bride's Race: White
Bride's Date of Birth: 30 Jul 1924
Bride's Place of Birth: , Decatur, Indiana
Bride's Residence: Connersville, , Indiana
Bride's Number of Marriage:
Bride's Father: Ernie Black
Bride's Mother: Lube Owens
Informant Name:
Date of License: 09 Jun 1947
County of License: Fayette
Date of Marriage: 11 Jun 1947
Place of Marriage: , Fayette, Indiana
Official:
Record Number:
Film Number: 1869794
Digital Folder Number: 4540523
Image Number: 00477
Number of Images: 1
Lube Owens should be Lula Owens
Uncle Lewis married first Anna Lee Honaker
July 26, 1941 Downard, Indiana
Lewis Harold Schlechtweg married June 9, 1947 Fayette County Indiana A. Rosezetta Black
Lewis H. Schlechtweg 63, Fountaintown, died Monday morning in an airplane crash at Lake Wawasee in northern Indiana. Born in Liberty, March 9, 1923, he was the son of John L. and Maria (Young) Schlechtweg. A former Wilkinson resident, he was a lieutenant governor of Indiana District for Optimist International, a member of the East Side Optimist Club, Indianapolis.
Mr. Schlechtweg was a colonel in the Confederate Air Force.
He was a former member of Wilkinson United Methodist Church and Hancock County Planning Commission. He had been president of Av- Med Collection Agency since 1974. Services will be at 7 p.m. Thursday at Appleget Lawrence Mortuary with Dr. Samuel Pugh a retired Christian Church minister officiating.
Survivors include his wife Rosezetta (Black) Schlechtweg a daughter Mrs. Karen Simpson; two sons Harold and Ronald Schlechtweg; three sisters Mrs. Mable Hunter, Mrs. Bertha Gilbert, Mrs. Mildred Hindbaugh, two brothers; William and Edward Schlechtweg; four grandchildren.
Family Members
Siblings
-
![]()
Mabel Fern Schlechtweg Hunter
1902–1994
-
![]()
Lena May Schlechtweg Ridout
1903–1971
-
![]()
Charles Frederick Schlechtweg
1904–1949
-
![]()
Anna Jane Schlechtweg Yards
1906–1936
-
![]()
William Jennings Schlechtweg
1907–1987
-
![]()
John Milford Schlechtweg
1909–1910
-
![]()
Mary Mildred "Midge" Schlechtweg Finch
1911–1994
-
![]()
Perry Gordon Schlechtweg
1912–1934
-
![]()
Edward Woodrow Schlechtweg
1914–1987
-
![]()
Bertha Marie Schlechtweg Gilbert
1916–2001
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Explore more
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
