Deadly Ala. plane crash may have been teen joyride

Updated 4:44 pm. ET

JASPER, Ala. Investigators believe a small plane that crashed in the Alabama woods was taken without permission for a joyride by a student pilot and two other teenagers who died in the wreck Tuesday night.

Walker County sheriff's Chief Deputy James Painter said Wednesday authorities are still investigating but believe the three teenagers took off in the plane before it went down in a wooded area near Jasper, northwest of Birmingham.

"We don't know for sure but we think it was some teenagers who stole the plane and were sort of joyriding it," Painter told The Associated Press. "They got it in and took off and didn't go very far."

"I think they were just looking for a thrill and they had their last one," Painter said.

Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen said the Piper PA 30 crashed less than a mile from the Walker County Airport in Jasper.

The names of the three occupants of the plane haven't been released. The mother of one of the teens who died, however, said her son had his own key and did not steal it.

Sherrie Smith told The Associated Press her 17-year-old son, Jordan Smith, had flown the plane many times.

The plane had departed from the small airport at night and when there was a low cloud ceiling , airport manager Edwin Banks said.

"It was a student pilot flying an airplane without permission, an airplane that he was not qualified to fly at night," Banks said. He declined to name the student before authorities release the identities.

The teenage pilot had flown a single-engine airplane in the past "and he got in a double-engine at night in bad weather with a couple of his buddies," Banks said.

The Piper PA 30 is also called a Piper Twin Comanche. It is a low-wing plane with two propellers and can seat four to six, depending on the model.

The planes were built from 1963 until 1972, and were popular with flight schools because of their fuel efficiency and relatively inexpensive price tags, according to the International Comanche Society, an enthusiasts' group.

[David Hoffman100]

Another overindulged teenager, this one with an aircraft, instead of a firearm. The rules are clear. Student pilots are not allowed to carry passengers. Flying a complex twin engine aircraft requires a lot of training and practice. I know private pilots who refuse to even consider twin engines. They would rather upgrade to a reliable single engine turboprop or a "TwinPac" turboprop driving one propeller. Flying in the dark with non VFR conditions, leads to many accidents by overeager pilots.

[GeorgeJones7]

Karma for stupidity, yes, but the not-so-funny part is that the owner of the aircraft will likely end up paying multi million dollar settlements to all 3 families for "not doing enough" to secure the aircraft from these wandering children.

[joesapper]

Taken without permission is the key words , as the theft of an aircraft is under the terrorist act , so the without permission thing is applied ,,, this tells me the parents of someone has influence.

[123justsayin]

Unfortunately, you are right--even if taken without permission. It's the sue-happy world we live in. I'm thinking of a case where the report shows a passenger caused a plane crash with the pilot doing everything he could to prevent (all perished) and yet all the passengers' families getting enormous rewards from the pilot's family who was grieving as well

[pedalit]

hey bubba, what'll happen if i pull this here stick?

[canislupus16]

The good news is they didn't involve anyone else

[ttipbc]

YOLO. Darwinism at work.

[mitch0927]

You say Darwinism at work, but use the stupid abbreviation of you only live once...that is true Darwinism at work, you can't even spell things out anymore....MORON!!

[ttipbc]

MITCH0927: Mitch, Mitch, Mitch - why all the hate? The reason I did "YOLO" & didn't spell it out is because there have been several stories in the news the past few weeks where young people have done something stupid/dangerous, & in the story it comes out that that the last thing these yahoos tweeted was "YOLO". I was just imagining that may be what these bright guys might have tweeted before they took themselves out. Sorry the humor was lost on you, but no need to be so nasty, bud!

[rnrstar]

Darwin Award Nominees.

[Scimajor]

Absolutely, Krisinal, twin engined planes are for experienced pilots only. Personally, I find them a pain to fly. I still love my little single engine Cessna Skyhawk for its simplicity.

[legalbutunjust]

Taking the wrong kind of plane for a "joyride."

Methinks there's no "right" type of plane to joyride in. I wouldn't be inclined to even attempt taking R/C aircraft for a joyride, let alone stepping into a life-size plane, complete with cockpit, seatbelts, and whatever else you'll find 'handy' to take off and in no time find yourself hundreds of feet above the air.

[rnrstar]

Planes don't fly "above the air" as that's left to spaceships.