Monday, October 8, 2018

The pilot and lawyer, 65-year-old Ralph C. Young of Fayetteville, West Virginia, died after he crashed his 1941 Piper J3C-65 Cub plane in southwest Fancy Gap Mountain, Virginia





CARROLL Co., Va. (WSET) -- 


Virginia State Police are investigating a plane crash in Carroll County.

State Police say that at 2:10 a.m. Sunday morning they were alerted to a missing aircraft that was suspected of crashing in Carroll County.

They were able to locate the fixed-wing, single-engine 1941 Piper off of Cemetery Road on Fancy Gap Mountain just after 3:00 a.m. with the help of the Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

They say the pilot, 65-year-old Ralph C. Young of Fayetteville, West Virginia, did not survive the crash.  He had bought the plane just last year (August 2017).  Although he was an experienced pilot, he did not realize what he was getting into with this 1941 Piper, as the winds in the mountains are atrocious and unpredictable and can bring down a small plane like the Piper Cub in no time.

Officials found his remains among the wreckage.

Police say the Office of the Medical Examiner in Roanoke also responded to the scene.

The cause of the plane crash is under investigation.

They say Young was making a round-trip flight from Fayetteville to Elkin, North Carolina.  Perhaps he was visiting insurance clients in North Carolina for the recent massive insured losses in that state.

The Carroll County Sheriff's Office and Emergency Services, and Hillsville and Cana Fire Departments have assisted state police at the scene.


The FAA and NTSB are assisting state police with the investigation.



Ralph C. Young

Attorney
Location:
Fayetteville, West Virginia
Phone:
304-574-2727
888-279-7919 (Toll Free)
Email:
Email Me

Ralph C. Young holds a Bachelor of Arts in English, a Master of Science in Industrial Relations, and a Juris Doctor degree, all from West Virginia University. Mr. Young is a trial lawyer who has been practicing law since 1979; his law practice emphasizes personal injury, insurance and consumer matters. Mr. Young has frequently appeared before the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals.

Ralph, his wife Cathy, and their three children, Clint, Joel, and Ashton, reside near Fayetteville. During the spring, summer and autumn, Ralph is an avid whitewater kayaker on the New and Gauley Rivers. During the winter, Ralph and his family are avid skiers. Ralph is a Trustee of the Oak Hill United Methodist Church. Ralph and his sons enjoy restoring their collection of antique tractors and jeeps.

Areas of Practice

  • Consumer Matters
  • Insurance
  • Personal Injury

Litigation Percentage

  • 100% of Practice Devoted to Litigation

Bar Admissions

  • West Virginia, 1979
  • U.S. District Court Southern District of West Virginia
  • U.S. Court of Appeals 4th Circuit

Education

  • West Virginia University College of Law, Morgantown, West Virginia - 1979
  • West Virginia University
    • M.S. - 1979
    • Major: Industrial Relations
  • West Virginia University
    • B.A. - 1974
    • Major: English
 A typical 1941 Piper J3C-65 Cub plane

 These two piper planes were owned by Ralph Young.  He was an experienced pilot playing with dangerous old planes.  He finally payed the piper with his life.


==============================================
Narrative:
The aircraft impacted trees and terrain in southwest Fancy Gap, Virginia. The airplane was destroyed during the accident sequence and the sole pilot onboard received fatal injuries.

Sources:
https://wset.com/news/local/man-dies-after-personal-plane-crashes-in-carroll-county
https://www.thecarrollnews.com/news/5194/fatal-plane-crash-in-carroll-county-under-investigation
https://www.google.com/maps?oe=UTF-8&hl=en-us&client=safari&um=1&ie=UTF-8&fb=1&gl=us&entry=s&sa=X&ll=36.6487242,-80.7020641&z=13&ftid=0x8852193c8ea861d5:0x30d4bb092c63735d&q=Cemetary+Rd,+Fancy+Gap,+VA+24328&gmm=CgIgAQ%3D%3D&ved=2ahUKEwi8xIj6iPXdAhWFJnwKHRfNB-gQ8gEwAXoECAoQAQ
https://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=38811
Date: 07-OCT-2018
Time: -14:10
Type:
Piper J3C-65 Cub
Owner/operator: Private
Registration: N38811
C/n / msn: 7288
Fatalities: Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Other fatalities: 0
Aircraft damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location: Carroll County, SSW Fancy Gap, VA - United States of America
Phase: Unknown
Nature: Unknown
Departure airport: Fayetteville (WV59)
Destination airport: Elkin Muni (KZEF)