by Don Richeson –
The pilot killed in a Nov. 24 Deltaville plane crash has now been been officially identified by the state medical examiner’s office in Richmond, it was announced in a Thursday, Dec. 3 Virginia State Police news release. The pilot was Carl Macon Smith, 71, of White Stone, the VSP confirmed. The Sentinel reported in its Dec. 3 print edition that that multiple social media posts and those closely acquainted with Smith had named him as the pilot of the plane, a 1966 Beechcraft V35 Bonanza, which Flightaware.com reports he owned.
The single-engine, propeller-driven aircraft crashed into a detached garage off Sandy Beach Road about 9:30 a.m. Both the plane and garage were destroyed in the crash and subsequent fire. Besides the pilot, there was no one else in the plane when it crashed and the garage was unoccupied, authorities report. The plane took off from Hummel Field in Topping just after 9 a.m., according to Flightaware.com.
The VSP did not give a reason for the crash, but said in its Dec. 3 news release that it is still under investigation.
Smith was an attorney and founder of Save the Rappahannock Coalition, which led the recent successful effort to stop erection of power line towers across the Rappahannock River.
Due to COVID-19 concerns, Smith’s noon Wednesday, Dec. 9 memorial service at Light of Christ Church in Heathsville is limited to his immediate family, but there is a link to watch a livestream of the service at http://www.lightofchristva.org
(Southside Sentinel reporter Tom Chillemi contributed this story.)
