Warbird Information Exchange

From KPLC-TV Lake Charles
October 23, 2006

Reported by KPLC Staff

A Lake Charles physician and an Alexandria man were killed yesterday in separate small airplane crashes in Grant Parish.

Four occupants in one plane were injured. Grant Parish Chief Deputy Preston Mosley identified the dead as Doctor Sleiman Salibi of Lake Charles and Chad DeRamus of Alexandria.

Grant Parish Sheriff's deputies received a call from Fort Polk Saturday night of a possible missing aircraft lost from radar at the military base. Just before dark last night, Salibi's plane was located by civil air patrol about 10 miles west of Georgetown off Louisiana Highway 500 in a wooded area of Kisatchie National Forest in Grant Parish. Mosley says Salibi was the pilot and only known occupant of a two-seater 1954 T-28 former military plane. Authorities say Salibi was flying from Saint Louis to Lake Charles.

Mosley says Jon Norman of Alexandria piloted the small Piper aircraft occupied by Jimmy DeRamus, his wife Peggy, his son Chad, and Chad's wife, Jenny, all of Alexandria. He says the pilot had engine trouble and attempted to land in a pasture. Mosley says the pilot landed the aircraft but was unable to get it stopped before it hit the trees. The plane went down about five miles west of Dry Prong, coming to rest at a driveway just off Louisiana Highway 122.

From WRG
T-28/BuNo. 140523
Bureau #: 140523
Construction #: 226-100
Civil Registration:
N470
Model: T-28C
Name: None
Status: Airworthy
Last info: 2002
History:
Registered as N470 by ??, July 1990.
James L. Maroney, Fargo, ND, 1992
James L. Griffin M.D., Tulsa, OK, 1992-2001.
- Restored to airworthy.
Sleiman S. Salibi, Lake Charles, LA, 2002.
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Sad news. My prayers go out to all affected.
Robbie

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Fly Fast Make Noise!

I lost a good friend and the airplane that I grew up in to that accident, you can probably guess which one hurts more. Sleiman was a truly caring individual. He was a terrific doctor and a great American, even if it was his adopted country. Remember guys, we aren't invincible and they're just pieces of metal.
Be careful out there,
Jason Griffin

Very sorry to hear that Jason. I guess there is nothing of real consolation that can be said, except to say that I am sure most, if not all on this board will be thinking of the families and friends of those lost. Take care yourself.

All the best. Richard

Blue Skies and tailwinds to both.......Tom

Bless them both, godspeed.



IDENTIFICATION
Regis#: 470 Make/Model: T28 Description: T-28, AT-28, TROJAN
Date: 10/21/2006 Time: 0027

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

LOCATION
City: PACKTON State: LA Country: US

DESCRIPTION
ACFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES, THE ONE PERSON ON BOARD WAS
FATALLY INJURED, WRECKAGE LOCATED NEAR DRY PRONG, PACKTON, LA

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

Not to kick up dirt on a painful subject, but I may be able to shed some light on a few things:

1. One of the guys in my south LA CAP unit knew the pilot very well, and said that he had just re-engined the aircraft. Apparantly he blew the engine at Oshkosh and had to be towed off. He also said he was quite careful about fuel consumption.

2. My old CAP unit in north LA was the one that found the site. I talked to my old unit commander and he said the aircraft had a fairly deep impact with no fire. There were other details but I see no reason to repeat them as they have no bearing on the accident.

Any old T-28 hands want to take a crack at this? Maybe he ran out of fuel with a new engine?

Anyway, everybody I spoke to who knew him spoke highly of him and his family is in our prayers.

_________________
ATC: "Oscar 2, cleared to engage wildlife at your discretion..."