Pilots N Paws Volunteer Dies In Rescue Flight Crash

Pilots N Paws
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Key Takeaways:

  • Seuk Kim, a 49-year-old volunteer pilot for Pilots N Paws, died when his Mooney 201 crashed in a remote, mountainous area of upstate New York while transporting rescue animals.
  • The crash occurred in rough weather conditions, killing Kim and one dog, though a puppy and another dog survived.
  • Kim's daughter noted he died doing what he loved, and a fundraiser has been launched in his memory, quickly raising $15,000 of its $20,000 goal.
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A volunteer pilot, Seuk Kim, for the animal rescue organization Pilots N Paws, was killed when his Mooney 201 went down in a remote mountainous area in upstate New York on Sunday about 6 p.m. A puppy and another dog survived the crash but another dog also died. Weather was reported rough at the time of the crash, which occurred about 35 miles south of Kim’s destination of Albany. The flight originated at Harford Airport in Maryland. Weather was cloudy with some rain and gusty winds in the last part of the flight.

Kim, 49, got his private certificate four years ago and was a dedicated Pilots N Paws volunteer, his daughter Leah Kim told Fox 5 in Washington, D.C. “He died doing what he loved, which was saving animals,” she told the station. A fundraiser has been launched and had raised $15,000 of the $20,000 goal as of late Monday.

Russ Niles

Russ Niles is Editor-in-Chief of AVweb. He has been a pilot for 30 years and joined AVweb 22 years ago. He and his wife Marni live in southern British Columbia where they also operate a small winery.
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