AUGUST 10, 2015
FLORIDA KEYS, FL
A Jupiter man and former Riviera Beach Fire Rescue division chief died early Monday when his plane crashed in the Florida Keys.
Flags in the department flew at half-staff for Edward “Russ” Elgin, whose body was found in the debris of the plane crash, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office said.
A man called 911, saying he heard the crash shortly after midnight and got in his boat to find out what happened. He told deputies he found debris about a mile offshore. He then found the body of 53-year-old Edward Elgin.
The caller to the sheriff’s office said he found debris from the crash about a mile offshore.
Elgin 53, was the only occupant of the 1973 single-engine Piper plane, the sheriff’s office said.
Recently retired after 33 years with Riviera Beach Fire Rescue, Elgin rose from the rank of firefighter to driver engineer, captain and, most recently, battalion chief, spokesman DaWayne Watson said.
He worked on the cleanups following Hurricanes Frances and Jeanne in 2004. Besides flying and scuba diving, Elgin was active in sky diving, Watson said.
“He was a very kind-hearted person,” Watson said. “If you needed help, you would be able to talk to him and he would give you advice.”
Plans for a memorial service were still being completed late Monday.
| Date: | 10-AUG-2015 |
| Time: | 00:10 |
| Type: |  Piper PA-28R-200 Arrow II |
| Owner/operator: | Palm Beach Flight Training |
| Registration: | N54380 |
| C/n / msn: | 28R-7435092 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Airplane damage: | Substantial |
| Location: | Florida Keys, Gulf of Mexico near Marathon, FL -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Unknown |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | |
The aircraft impacted the waters of the Gulf of Mexico near Marathon in the Florida Keys. The airplane broke apart and submerged, having sustained substantial damage. The retrieved sole pilot of the aircraft received fatal injuries.
Sources:
http://www.local10.com/news/man-killed-in-plane-crash-off-the-florida-keys/34629154
http://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=178481 http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/news/transportation/report-jupiter-man-killed-in-plane-crash-near-flor/nnGg9/
http://www.asias.faa.gov/pls/apex/f?p=100:96:::::P96_ENTRY_DATE,P96_FATAL_FLG,P96_MAKE_NAME:10-AUG-15
http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=N54380
http://pbflight.weebly.com/aircraft.html