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, identified as Dr. Freddy Camuzzi, Dr. Charles "Chas" Freeble III, and his wife Kathleen, died when their Columbia 350 crashed while landing at Mountain Air Country Club in Burnsville, N.C.
- Witnesses reported the aircraft bounced hard on landing, then stalled, subsequently striking six other airplanes on the ground.
- The Columbia and two other planes were destroyed in a post-crash fire, with two additional aircraft sustaining heat and debris damage.
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