David Haight (aka DBLD for Double D)
Posting about Tom Mayer's tragic passing
Incident date: 6/5/10
Posted to the SCPA discussion forum on Sunday morning @ 12:43 AM
http://scpa.info/bb/forum/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=1894

I guess it is in my hands to report that we lost a friend today inasmuch as his life slipped away in my hands.  Tom Mayer and I went to Andy Jackson Flight Park (Marshall/Crestline) for an aerobatics get together.  I don't even recall off hand the reason for it.  To cut to the chase; Tom was one of the first contestants for the aero thing and it did NOT end well.  His glider broke (reason to be determined) and he impacted with no reserve deployment.  I was on scene within minutes as well as fire/paramedics and it was obvious that his life force was gone.  The heroic effort was made to revive, but there was nothing we could do.

I would like to thank Guy Lindberg, the Crestline Soaring Association, and the San Bernardino fire and paramedics for all of the help and support in such a tragic time.

On the way back, driving Tom's truck with the wreckage, I was thinking of things to say in this post and when it comes to writing it the words fail me.  What can you say when you have been so closely involved with a good friend?  To have a totally fun day turn to tragedy is not easy to deal with.  The kicker was that the next pilot to fly out, Bill Soderquist, also had a failure, however successfully deployed and suffered only broken ribs etc.  He was helicoptered out. at this time i have no update on his status.

At this time I really don't have any editorial comment except.... fly safe

dd