Bruce Kennedy, 68, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Quest Aircraft, died in the crash of his Cessna 182 near the Cashmere (Wash.) Airport on Thursday. Kennedy had a long career with Alaska Airlines and retired as its CEO in 1991. He was on his way to Wenatchee to see his grandchildren when the plane went down in a high school parking lot while attempting to land. The airplane hit a truck and a tree before catching fire next to a house. No one on the ground was hurt. Weather was reported to be mostly clear with light winds at the time of the crash. Kennedy worked for Alaska Airlines and its predecessor for 32 years and is credited with the modern expansion that turned it into an international carrier. He took early retirement in 1991 to pursue humanitarian causes. According to a news release from his family, he was especially fond of his involvement with Quest Aircraft, which is on the cusp of certification for its turboprop Kodiak bush plane. The Kodiak will be sold in the general market and profits from those sales will be used to donate aircraft to humanitarian organizations flying into remote areas around the world.
Quest Aircraft Chairman Killed In Crash
Key Takeaways:
- Bruce Kennedy, 68, Chairman of Quest Aircraft and former CEO of Alaska Airlines, died in a Cessna 182 crash near Cashmere, Washington, while attempting to land.
- Kennedy was credited with modernizing Alaska Airlines before retiring in 1991 to pursue humanitarian causes, and no one on the ground was injured in the crash.
- He was deeply involved with Quest Aircraft, whose Kodiak turboprop was nearing certification, with profits from sales intended to fund aircraft donations to humanitarian organizations worldwide.
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