Posted on 04/26/2007 9:30:12 AM PDT by KeyLargo
Agent killed in plane crash
Jeremy Roebuck, Andres R. Martinez and Michael Barnett
April 25, 2007 - 1:22PM
SAN MANUEL — A U.S. Customs and Border Protection pilot died Wednesday in a plane crash while pursuing illegal immigrants fleeing onto a ranch 15 miles north of here.
Clinton B. Thrasher, 32, of McAllen, lost control of his aircraft about 12: 30 p.m. as he flew above Brooks County’s Santa Fe Ranch, a mile north of the Hidalgo County line. The pilot was providing support to agents on the ground when the plane went down, authorities said.
It remains unclear what caused the crash, but investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board were expected to arrive at the scene Wednesday night.
Thrasher, a 10-year-veteran of the Border Patrol and CBP, graduated in 1997 from the Border Patrol training class.
“He lost his life in a tragic aircraft accident while protecting our country and preserving our way of life,” the agency said in a written statement. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the Thrasher family as we support them during this very difficult time.”
Although Border Patrol agents quickly set up a perimeter around the crash scene keeping out media, a photo taken by a law en-forcement officer inside revealed a stark image of the wreckage. .
excerpt
http://www.themonitor.com/onset?id=1873&template=article.html
(Excerpt) Read more at themonitor.com ...
AVIATION PING
Prayers for our BP who have to fight illegals and politically correct politicians to keep us safe.
Are the Clintons back in power?
The will probably charge him with some “hate crime” now that he is dead. He probably used “excessive force” while flying the aircraft - and we all know agents are not really supposed to stop illegals anyway.
The ghost of JFK Jr. is haunting the skies.
Question.
When a person is killed by accident chasing an illegal or illegals such as happened here and are caught. Would the illegal or illegals be charged with killing the agent? It may seem self answered but the way the illegals are being treated it leaves me in a questioning mode. If there were one, half dozen or dozen would any or all of them be charged with any crime other than coming across the boarder illegally?
Since he died, can Johnny Sutton prosecute his next of kin for his hate crime of enforcing immigration laws?
R.I.P. What a terrible couple of weeks.
If nothing else, maybe "littering".
Prayers for his family.
Having had occasions to perform such activities..., I would state that it could easily become a case of concentrating on what was going on on the ground at the expense of flying the plane! Fortunately, I always had an observer maintaining contact with the ground.
A BP pilot typically performs alone..., daily, and well! However, fixation on ground activities has killed many a pilot and will continue to do so!
Ping!
My solemn condolences are extended to his family.
My enraged disadain extends to that which we call a government.
Shot down perhaps?
R.I.P.
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