SNOHOMISH — A public memorial is being planned for the 10 men and women who died Oct. 7 when their plane crashed while returning from a sky diving trip.
It was the deadliest airplane crash in the U.S. this year.
The memorial is set for 2 p.m. Oct. 27 at Snohomish High School, 1316 Fifth St. Families of the victims have been holding individual memorials for their loved ones since the crash.
“It’s just something that we decided that we needed to do for ourselves and members of the sky diving community, and members of the general public community,” said Elaine Harvey, who manages Skydive Snohomish at Harvey Field. “We want to share who these people were with everyone, and to celebrate their lives.”
The sky divers, members of Skydive Snohomish, were returning from a sky diving trip near Boise, Idaho, when their plane suddenly began losing altitude over the Cascade Range west of Yakima. The plane appeared to level out for a brief moment before it fell from the sky, according to radar data, the National Transportation Safety Board said.
The cause of the plane crash remains under investigation.
The people who died were Cecil Elsner, 20, Lake Stevens; Phil Kibler, 47, Snohomish; Landon Atkin, 20, Snohomish; Bryan Jones, 34, Redmond; Andrew Smith, 20, Lake Stevens; Jeff Ross, 28, Snohomish; Hollie Rasberry, 24, Bellingham; Michelle Barker, 22, Kirkland; Casey Craig, 30, Bothell; and Ralph Abdo, 27, Issaquah.
A memorial for Atkin is being planned for 2:30 p.m. Sunday at Maltby Christian Assembly, 9322 Paradise Lake Road, Snohomish. Rasberry’s memorial is planned for Oct. 28 in Bellingham, and Kibler’s memorial is set for Saturday in New York.
Donations to the families can be made through PayPal by using the e-mail address 10foreverflying@gmail.com. Or, checks to the Skydive Snohomish N430A Family Fund can be mailed to Skydive Snohomish, 9912 Airport Way, Snohomish, WA 98296.
Additional details about the memorial are expected to be posted online at www.skydivesnohomish.com.
Reporter Scott Pesznecker: 425-339-3436 or spesznecker@heraldnet.com.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
