California: Elderly Carlsbad man jumps to death from rented airplane

Associated Press ^ | 3-30-04

[Oldeconomybuyer]

EL CAJON, Calif. (AP) -- An 88-year-old man who recently had been diagnosed with a brain tumor jumped to his death from an airplane that he had rented for a half-hour flight to celebrate his birthday.

Joseph Harold Frost of Carlsbad died Monday afternoon when he fell from the biplane, landing on an apartment patio, in view of horrified witnesses, authorities said.

[al baby]

Nothing to see here move along its bushs fault

[MaryFromMichigan]

LOL! That's bad!

[sparkomatic]

Look, up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! No, it's grandpa!

[Fitzcarraldo]

I hope I go quietly in my sleep, like my Uncle

As did my father-in-law, in 1995, he went to bed "not feeling well" and never woke up. If he had went to the hospital and obtained a bypass I think he'd still be alive today in good health.

[anonymous_user]

I knew when Dr. Kevorkian started taking flying lessons, it would lead to no good.

[South40]

"The impact severed his body and knocked out power for several hours to the area's 4,000 residents and businesses."

"A tenant at the complex, Dennis Reaves, 34, said his 8-year-old son came running indoors to tell him a man had fallen from a plane."

From another article.

[shellylet]

At 88 and with a brain tumor he most likely had some form of dementia! He obviously wasn't in his right mind!

[BlueLancer]

"depends on the policy - some have a one-year suicide clause"

Mine has a two-year clause and then it's just like any other death.

Now if I can just find a way to trigger the double-indemnity accidental death clause as well ...

[Not A Snowbird]

I have seen how elderly are treated. I drove for a volunteer rescue squad when I lived in Virginia and occasionally had to go out to the local nursing home on a call. A thoroughly depressing experience.

However, this isn't about the elderly, it's about a decision. Whether that person was 88 or 18, it was still (in my opinion) a selfish and wrong thing to do.

[blackdog]

An interesting log book entry that day I'll tell ya. I guess he'll have to cut the instruction time short from total time. That is unless he provided trajectory instructions and was shouting them out on the way down to the old man.

I've always wondered which is better, to pancake like a slab of liver or to headfirst into a flesh lump like a missile?

I think I'd go for the missile configuration.

[sirshackleton]

As did my father-in-law, in 1995, he went to bed "not feeling well" and never woke up. If he had went to the hospital and obtained a bypass I think he'd still be alive today in good health.

I seem to know frightening amount of folks who had just gotten clean bills of health from doctors only to either end up dying in their sleep (uncle) or even, worse, at work (a couple of folks I knew). Very unexpected, but quiet departures...

[BlueLancer]

Ooops ... forgot ...

8')

... lest someone take me seriously.

[blackdog]

If it were me, at least I'd carry a handheld GPS and point my burning re-entry into Henry Waxman's compound. Nothing like making a positive statement on your exit.

[Incorrigible]

LOL

I haven't heard that one in years!

[blackdog]

Hell is driving a school bus........

[MineralMan]

While I completely understand suicide in the case of a fatal, incurable illness, this guy's a complete jerk. If he wanted to off himself, he could have done it quietly and simply.

Instead, he throws himself out of a plane in a populated area, risking those on the ground in his search for a spectacular ending to his life.

It's very sad, but I'm very angry at this man right now.

My advice: if you're going to commit suicide, do it cleanly and neatly. Don't leave a mess to complicate the lives of others and don't risk anyone else's life in your selfishness.

Feh!

[beelzepug]

"Frost, a retired land developer..."

(Q) What do you one call a land developer who commits suicide?

(A) A good start.

Yes, I'm sick of developers. Fly over the island where I live and it looks like it's been given a bad haircut.

[savedbygrace]

"When I die, I want to go peacefully in my sleep like my grandfather . . .
not yelling and screaming like the passengers in his car."

[MineralMan]

"Yes, I'm sick of developers. Fly over the island where I live and it looks like it's been given a bad haircut.
"

Do you live in a cave or other natural feature of your island? No? Then your house was built on that island as well.

You want an island all to yourself? Buy one.

[NewRomeTacitus]

"Wow, California compassion."

Yeah, too bad the old boy felt he had to do that while this company was still in the start-up phase. He could have been politically correct AND gotten a nice symphonic multimedia show had he waited, plus a nice note from Nader for the family.