Three people died Saturday morning when their Columbia 350 (N2537A) crashed while landing at the Mountain Air Country Club, an airport and golfing community in Burnsville, N.C., about 35 miles northeast of Asheville. Killed in the accident was Dr. Freddy Camuzzi and Dr. Charles “Chas” Freeble III and his wife Kathleen. Witnesses said the four-seat airplane bounced hard on landing and subsequently hit six other aircraft. The Columbia and two other airplanes it struck were destroyed in a post-crash fire while two others were damaged by heat and debris, according to reports. Ron Wright, vice president of administration for Columbia Aircraft Manufacturing Corp, told KTZV.COM, “Witnesses basically said it slammed down really hard, bounced up about 10 feet…[and the pilot] ended up stalling it.” Both doctors reportedly worked at the St. Petersburg (Fla.) General Hospital. Colleagues and friends told the St. Petersburg Times that both men were experienced pilots — Freeble was a flight instructor and Camuzzi had been flying for some 20 years.
Columbia 350 Landing Crash Kills Three
Key Takeaways:
- Three people – Dr. Freddy Camuzzi, Dr. Charles "Chas" Freeble III, and his wife Kathleen – died when their Columbia 350 (N2537A) crashed while landing at Mountain Air Country Club in Burnsville, N.C.
- Witnesses reported the plane bounced hard on landing, bounced up about 10 feet, and then stalled.
- The crashed aircraft subsequently struck six other airplanes; the Columbia and two others were destroyed in a post-crash fire, while two more were damaged.
- Both Dr. Camuzzi and Dr. Freeble were experienced pilots, with Freeble also serving as a flight instructor.
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