Living

Other Events and Attributes:

• Residence: 1991, Rapid City, Pennington, South Dakota, USA; Age: 30

Notes:

By Zack McDonald / The News Herald
Published: Wednesday, December 18, 2013 at 19:11 PM.
CALLAWAY - Helicopters churned in a cloudless blue sky early Wednesday morning, scouring the deep woods of southeast Bay County for the wreckage of a Destin-bound plane.

By then, more than an hour had passed since Tyndall Air Force Base reported losing radio contact with a distressed pilot near the Sandy Creek area.

Larry Eli Caison, 52, was piloting a single-engine Beechcraft Bonanza G36 from North Palm Beach County General Aviation to Destin Airport, but the plane began a sudden descent from 7,900 feet at 6:46 a.m. CST, according to North Florida Flight Center of Jacksonville reports.

VIDEO

With the plane traveling at 155 mph, Caison called in an engine-related problem and was diverted to Sandy Creek Airpark, officials said. The plane then dropped 800 feet in three minutes before communications ceased.

Caison was found dead on the scene, only about 50 yards from a grass clearing of the airpark’s paved landing strip, at 9:01 a.m. CST, according to Capt. Ricky Ramie with the Bay County Sheriff’s Office.

“He wasn’t that far from the strip,” Ramie said. “He had about 50 yards before he made the clearing where he could’ve landed. Now, that’s tragic.”

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will lead the investigation into the crash. NTSB reported 76 crashes of Beechcraft planes in Florida within the past decade. The crashes resulted in 36 fatalities.

Search

BCSO and the Callaway Fire Department had crews on the ground searching for the crash site by 7:23 a.m. CST. Neither flames nor smoke gave away the plane’s location deep in the woods. BCSO could not find the aircraft until a helicopter was directly above the wreckage, Ramie said.

The Sheriff’s Office and the county’s Emergency Operations Center cut a trail through the thick woods about 200 yards east of Sandy Creek Airpark with the help of a county bulldozer.

In 15 years of living in the neighborhood next to the airpark, Frank Carpenter could recall only one other time a pilot came in for an emergency landing at Sandy Creek. An aircraft Carpenter described as an “Air Force helicopter” completed a safe landing once upon a time.

A former commercial pilot and maintenance manager of Sandy Creek Airpark, Carpenter said the 20-mile circumference of timberlands surrounding the 4,000-foot-long and 60-foot-wide Sandy Creek landing strip obscures the roads, which rule out a lot of other landing options for distressed pilots. Other roads in the area are dirt or gravel.

“We’ve known people who get into trouble and look for an open field; you look for something,” Carpenter said. “As for options, where he was at doesn’t offer much.”

http://www.newsherald.com/news/crime-public-safety/investigation-continues-into-fatal-plane-crash-video-1.251439

Died:
Lt. Col. Larry Eli Caison, U.S. Air Force (Ret.), 52, was killed in an aircraft crash in Bay County near Panama City, Fla., on Dec. 18, 2013. He was born at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., to Larry and Lorie Caison on Oct. 30, 1961.

Lt. Col. Caison was flying from West Palm Beach to Destin, Fla., to be with his family for Christmas. En route, the single engine plane he was piloting lost power and crashed one mile short of an emergency landing attempt at Sandy Creek air field.

He is preceded in death by his father, Larry Foard Caison, in 2009. He is survived by his mother, Lorie Caison of Destin; his sister, Lisa Branham of Chesapeake, Va.; former wife, Nancy Caison, and their daughter, Loren Caison, and son, Owen Caison of Shalimar, Fla.; his niece, Jessica Bullock of Newport News, Va.; and sons, Keaton Thomasson and Dillon Thomasson of Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.

Lt. Col. Caison is a graduate of Kecoughtan High School in Hampton, Va., in 1979 and the Virginia Military In-stitute in 1983. Lt. Col. Caison retired from the U.S. Air Force in 2006 after 23 years of service. First he was a navi-gator and then convinced the Air Force to send him to pilot training. He piloted the B-1 bomber for the Strategic Air Command and C-130 Combat Talon for the Special Operations Command. His service included duty at McCord AFB in Tacoma, Wash.; Kadena Air Force Base in Okinawa, Japan; Ellsworth AFB in Rapid City, S.D.; Hurlburt Field in Fort Walton Beach, Fla., and the Pentagon.

Lt. Col. Caison was president of Grey Aviation, a company in Destin that he founded after retiring from the U.S. Air Force. Grey Aviation is a small company that provides airborne surveillance and special mission capability to U.S. and foreign military and other government agencies. He also founded and owned Grey Tactical Outfitters in Destin.

Lt. Col. Caison had many interests. He coached high school wrestling. He kept a healthy regimen of exercise with running and weight lifting the mainstays. He enjoyed riding his Harley Davidson motorcycle, traveling and a good cigar. He was a terrific pilot. Mostly he loved and enjoyed being with his family, who will miss him.

A memorial service will be held at Shalimar United Methodist Church, 1 Old Ferry Road, Shalimar, FL 32579, phone number, 850-651-0721 at 2 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 27, 2013. The Rev. Dr. Larry Bryars will officiate.

In lieu of flowers, please make a gift to Wounded Warrior Project, 4899 Belfort Road, Suite 300, Jacksonville, FL 32256, phone 877-832 6997.

Expressions of sympathy may be viewed or submitted online at www.McLaughlinMortuary.com.

Published in Northwest Florida Daily News on Dec. 25, 2013

- See more at: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/nwfdailynews/obituary.aspx?n=Larry-Caison&pid=168660877#sthash.zj8NZfAY.dpuf

Larry + Living. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Died:
Larry Foard Caison (1936 - 2009)
After a long battle with Alzheimer's, Larry passed away peacefully on Sunday, Dec. 6, 2009, with his wife of over 50 years at his side.

Larry was born in Atkinson, N.C., and was proud to serve his country for 20 years. He retired as an enlisted member of the U.S. Air Force. Afterwards, his passion was to serve the next generation with a second career as a 20-year teacher at Thomas Nelson Community College. Upon retirement, Larry blessed our local community and became a resident of Destin, Fla.

He was the eldest of three children born to the late Eli "Sonny" and Myrtle Caison. Larry is survived by his beloved wife, Lorie; and two children, Eli and Lisa; his grandchildren; and countless other friends and family that were blessed to have known him.

A delightful man who loved to fish, laugh, be with family, have fun with friends and teach, Larry's love of life was always demonstrated through his appreciation with music, dance and camaraderie. He truly was the life of the party, whether it was at the American Legion or just poker nights at the house with family and friends. Larry touched the lives of many people with his smile and generosity, and maintained his trademark sense of humor all the way to the end.

Friends and family are invited for visitation on Thursday evening, Dec. 10, from 6 to 8 p.m., and a funeral service on Friday, Dec. 11, at 11 a.m. at McLaughlin Mortuary, 17 Chestnut Ave. S.E., Fort Walton Beach, Fla. Larry will join other heroes at his final resting place at Barrancas National Cemetery.

Larry was a true patriot and in honor of his convictions the family requests, instead of flowers, donations be sent to the Wounded Warrior Project, 7020 AC Skinner Pkwy., Suite 100, Jacksonville, FL 32256; or the Special Operation Warrior Foundation, P.O. Box 13483, Tampa, FL 33681-3483, in his name.

McLaughlin Mortuary, 17 Chestnut Ave. S.E., Fort Walton Beach, is in charge of the arrangements. Memories and condolences may be left at www.McLaughlinMortuary.com on the obituary page.

Published in Northwest Florida Daily News on December 9, 2009

Larry + Living. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Known As: Sonny
• SSN issued: North Carolina, USA
• Residence: Pender, North Carolina, USA
• Social Security Number: 241-16-9794
• Residence: 1920, Caswell, Pender, North Carolina, USA
• Residence: 1930, Wallace, Pender, North Carolina, USA

Eli + Living. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]