North Dakota man killed in San Marcos plane crash

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According to FAA registration records, the plane that crashed near the San Marcos airport this morning was a 45-year-old Cessna 320E similar to this model.

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STAFF REPORT

A 66-year-old North Dakota man was killed this morning after crashing his private plane near the Hays-Caldwell county line shortly after taking off from the San Marcos Municipal Airport.

The plane plummeted into an open field at the south end of the Gary Job Corps complex, formerly Gary Army Air Force Base, adjacent to the airport.

An airport source identified the pilot as Clarence Schollmeyer, an engineer from Killdeer, N.D. He was flying a 1967 Cessna 320 E owned by a Pryor, Okla.-based bank, according to Federal Aviation Administration aircraft registration records.

The source, who spoke on the condition he not be named because he is not part of an official investigation, said Schollmeyer’s plane had recently been painted at a business based at the airport.

He was in hurry to leave town this morning despite being cautioned that one of the engines of his plane was running roughly, the source said. In addition, the plane had antiquated radio equipment and an inoperable transponder.

The National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the accident’s cause.

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Posted by Brad Rollins on 11/01/2012. Filed under Cops & Courts, Featured, Hays County, News, San Marcos, The Corridor. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0.