12A
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2016
Plane: NTSB’s preliminary report expected in a week or two
Continued from Page 1A
‘I tell you
... it causes
you to think
about what’s
important in
life to you.’
Divers with the Sheriff’s
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body from the cockpit that day
but couldn’t remove Mustain
from the passenger seat until
Monday.
Raised from the river
Raising the plane was a bit
more complicated.
“There’s chunks the size
of quarters down there,” Sgt.
Matt Phillips, of the Clatsop
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before the operation.
Using a diver from Cas-
cade Dive Co., a crane team
from Bergerson Construction
hoisted the plane parts from
the river bed and onto a barge.
Meanwhile, the Sheriff’s
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with U.S. Coast Guard person-
nel, created a 500-yard secu-
rity zone around the operation.
Afterward, the plane sat on
a trailer outside the Holiday
Inn Express on Marine Drive.
It is scheduled to be trucked
on Wednesday to an AvTech
Services airplane hangar in
Auburn, Washington.
The National Transporta-
tion Safety Board, which has
launched an investigation of
the crash, will document the
plane — “the systems, the
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they have the entire aircraft,
and seeing if there’s any signs
of any sort of pre-crash failure
Sgt. Matt Phillips
Clatsop County Sheriff’s Office
to contacting the family, to
information gathering — is
by necessity a mechanical and
mission-oriented one, but ritu-
als like that can add meaning
to the aftermath, comforting
both the bereaved and the law
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“It reminds you of the pur-
pose of your work,” Phillips
said.
A 14-year veteran with the
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present when McKibbin and
Mustain were brought to the
surface. In such moments,
pure procedure takes over —
Photos by Joshua Bessex/The Daily Astorian
the need to get the job done.
Crews inspect plane debris onboard a barge on Tuesday.
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cer, a regular witness to human
suffering, can only compart-
that could have played a role in ing his communications with played no role, and then we sort
The aftermath
of narrow down the focus.”
the accident,” Peter Knudson, DLUWUDI¿FFRQWUROOHUV
Among the items recovered mentalize the experience for
In one to two weeks, the from the river bed was Mus- so long.
The Federal Aviation
a spokesman, said.
In addition, the agency will Administration, a party to the National Transportation Safety tain’s purse, which Sheriff’s
“I tell you ... it causes you
investigate McKibbin’s back- investigation, has said that no Board will produce a prelimi- 2I¿FH'HSXW\-XVWLQ'LPPLFN to think about what’s import-
nary report laying out the facts returned to her family.
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ant in life to you,” he said.
“We start with, really, every of the incident. The entire inves-
licensing and ratings, medi-
The whole process of clean- “There’s always a point of
cal history — and the circum- possibility,” Knudson said. “We tigation to determine the proba- ing up after a tragedy — from UHÀHFWLRQRQFH\RXJHWHYHU\-
VWDQFHV RI WKH ÀLJKW LQFOXG- UXOHWKLQJVRXWDVZH¿QGWKH\ ble cause could take a year.
the search for human remains, thing dealt with and put away.”
Crews position the barge as they prepare to remove plane
debris from the Columbia River on Tuesday.
A diver goes into the river near a bouy marking the loca-
tion of the plane during a recovery mission on Tuesday.
Crews remove plane debris from the Columbia River on
Tuesday. See more photos online at www.dailyastorian.com
Vigil: McKibbin’s ‘big personality was like a 1,000-watt spotlight’
and Evergreen Habitat for
Humanity.
“He had an unfailingly,
at Pearson Field to honor
McKibbin and show love aggressively, relentlessly posi-
and support for his widow, tive attitude about everything,”
their daughters and the whole state Sen. Ann Rivers, R-La
extended family. A gentle rain Center, told the crowd Saturday.
started to fall toward the end And when McKibbin would say,
of the 45-minute vigil, but “Kiddo, it’s time for a meeting,”
that didn’t stop folks from or “Kiddo, we’ll get it done,”
lighting candles and holding Rivers knew he meant business.
Kelly Love, a fellow former
them aloft.
McKibbin, 69, and passen- CEO of the Chamber of Com-
ger Irene Mustain, 64, died last merce, said McKibbin called her
week while on a mission to scat- “kiddo,” too. They didn’t always
ter the ashes of Mustain’s late agree, she said, but McKib-
husband, Terry Mustain, near bin’s “big personality was like a
the mouth of the Columbia 1,000-watt spotlight.” For such
a vital life force to disappear in
River.
Terry Mustain was a Viet- the Columbia River really gives
nam veteran and Air Force pilot Love pause, she said.
“John was one of those spe-
who died in 2013. Wednesday
would have been his 69th birth- cial, rare people who could reach
day; he and Irene had been mar- across divides and disagree-
ments to bring people together,”
ried for 44 years.
McKibbin and Irene Mus- said state Sen. Annette Cleve-
WDLQZHUHÀ\LQJLQ0F.LEELQ¶V land, D-Vancouver, who knew
North American AT-6A when McKibbin for decades, worked
it went down on the river near with him and campaigned for
him. “As a trusted and highly
Astoria.
The AT-6A was built in 1941 respected leader, his desire to
and was designed to train mil- serve our community and state
itary pilots during World War was limitless.”
John Wells, a good friend,
II. It had been fully restored
by McKibbin and his friend laughed that he “spent a lot of
and fellow pilot George Welsh, timing sitting behind John in air-
and was frequently on display planes.” Their friendship grew
at Pearson. McKibbin was an after the McKibbins hosted a
experienced private pilot. The welcome-home party for Wells
ZHDWKHU IRU À\LQJ RQ :HGQHV- when he was returning from
day was good, and the rea- military service in the early
son for the crash is still being 1970s. They didn’t know him,
Wells said, but he was a friend
investigated.
of a friend. That was enough for
them.
‘Kiddo’
“He was an incredible indi-
McKibbin was a popu-
lar person with a long résumé vidual,” Wells said. “We were
in public service in southwest supposed to meet again next
Washington. He taught con- Wednesday.”
Neighborhood activist Brid-
temporary world problems at
Columbia River High School get Schwarz, longtime orga-
and was active in Democratic nizer of the Fairgrounds Neigh-
politics before winning a 49th borhood Association, said
Legislative District seat in she admired the way McKib-
1974. After serving two terms bin “always included people.
in the House, he was elected He was committed to the grass
county commissioner in 1978, roots, and I guess that’s what I
receiving nearly 71 percent was. I’m like, ‘I mattered to this
of the vote. He left elected guy?’ ”
Ron Arp, a local busi-
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estate and development, and nessman, said McKibbin was
also served in numerous vol- keenly interested in replac-
unteer and leadership capac- ing the Interstate 5 Bridge and
ities for local civic organiza- growing aviation opportunities
tions, including the Greater and education at nearby Pear-
Vancouver Chamber of Com- son Field. “He wanted people
merce, Leadership Clark to be able to land here and live
County, Identity Clark County here,” Arp said.
Continued from Page 1A
‘John was one of those special, rare
people who could reach across divides and
disagreements to bring people together.’
Sen. Annette Cleveland
D-Vancouver, Wash.
In the time to come, Arp John playing wing man.”
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themselves feeling “that nudge to
New world
get involved and make the com-
McKibbin was married to
munity better — that’s probably Nancy McKibbin for more
than 40 years.
“I am so uplifted today” by
the crowd and its kind words
about her late husband, Nancy
said. Some of the amazing
things they said about him
were things she hadn’t known,
she said.
What she does know: “He
wasn’t ready to go,” she said.
They had many plans for the
future, she said.
The couple had two daugh-
ters and two grandchildren —
including Charlotte, who had
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Nancy McKibbin introduced
her to the crowd and said:
“This is my new world.”
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