My name's Captain Andy Leisnerig
from the Venice Police Departme.
With me here we have Mayor Nick Pechota,
city manager Ed Lavalley,
Airport director Mark Cervacio,
Fire Chief Frank Giddens and
assistant manager James Clinch.
So yesterday it was on 8 Wednes,
April 5th at about 9:38 PM.
Venice Police Department respond
to the area of 1600 S Harbor Dre
for a report of a plane crash.
There's several witnesses that
were on the pier that observed e
crash and then called into 911.
Venice Police Department is takg
the lead in the investigation,
but of course we're working
with the NTSB&amp;FAA. Ultimately,
NTSB is responsible for the investigation.
We handled the initial field
investigation for them.
The aircraft that was involved
is a Piper PA32R single engine
plane occupied by four people.
The pilot of the aircraft is identified
as William Jeffrey Lumpkin, age.
His wife was a passenger,
Patricia Ann Lumpkin, age 68.
Ricky Joe Beaver, age 60,
and Elizabeth and Beaver, age 5.
The lumpkins are from fishers Id
the Beavers are from Noblesvill.
After the emergency crews
arrived last night, Mr.
Lumpkin and Mr.
Beaver were located.
They were determined to be deced
upon arrival and we located a
debris a debris field from the
crash site and that was about 12
mile West of the Venice airport
last night. Rescue teams were
unable to locate the plane or te
female passengers and we were
unable to deploy a dive team unl
this morning when we had daylig.
At 11:56 AM, divers located then
portion of the aircraft as wells
two bodies who are believed to e
Patricia Lumpkin and Elizabeth Bieber.
The wreckage is at a depth
approximately 23 feet.
We've been in contact with
the victim's families,
so they are notified and certaiy
our hearts go out to them as
they deal with this tragedy.
Just to give you a timeline,
the airplane left an airport
in Saint Pete last night,
flew to the Venice airport,
arrived around 5:00 PM the occus
of the aircraft met with friend,
had dinner at Sharkey's
on the pier restaurant,
and then departed at
approximately 9:35 PM last nigh.
The plane. Crashed soon after takeoff
as they were returning to Saint Pete.
The primary questions relating
to investigation relating
to the pilot and aircraft.
I'll have to defer you to the NTSB as
they are the primary investigat,
but I do want to just take a mot
to thank the investigative teams
well as the agencies that assisd
us yesterday and ongoing today
include the Venice Fire Departm.
Sarasota County Sheriff's Offic,
Sarasota Police Department,
Florida Fish and Wildlife, U.S.
Coast Guard, Seto Venice Distrit
12 medical examiner's office.
We'll now open up for any
questions that you might have.
Maybe a question for that you're for,
but given that this was the
2nd crash in four months,
very similar circumstances.
But something need to be done.
I've spoken to pilots who say oe
they're out there over the Gulf people,
well that's the, that's the thi.
We don't have a control tower at
the airport, so the the runway
that is used is up to the pilot.
So it's up to them to to make
the decision as to whether and
which runway they're going to u.
Usually that's based on the
direction of the winds.
You talk about flying over the
gulf at night, just the conditis
for people who maybe aren't.
No, I couldn't say that.
I'm airport, not in the cockpit.
So I realized that the NTSB is
investigating and you can't
talk about their investigation.
But as the airport director,
what kind of commonalities are
you looking at to make sure that
everything is the same as possi?
Well, what we're looking at is r
I got in from the pier last nig,
we did a runway sweep to make se
that the airport itself was thee
were no issues on the airport,
which they were not, and 123 was clear.
While the lights were working,
our facility was was intact.
I've gotten where they didn't
receive any fuel, no services.
While they were there.
They just paid a parking fee at
the FBO and and then departed.
So they did what a lot of peopl,
they fly in, they go over to the pier,
they have dinner and they fly o.
Is that right? I assume so, yeao
again, what kind of
commonalities will you look at?
Well, you have to understand that the
airplane once the airplanes are in in
flight that's the under there under the
purview of the FAA flight stand.
All our our responsibility and r
purview is to make sure that the
airport and the facility that we have
are in good condition and and se
to use and that's what they wer.
Die from your airport?
What are you going to do to
ensure that you don't have more
people adding to that number?
I want to hear from your point of view,
whatever, like FAA has its own
jurisdiction what it's going to.
What are you going to do to make
sure you don't have more familis
piling up on this list? I'm
going to comply with the Faa's
and the FDOT's requirements for
operating an airport and makinge
that the airport is set is safe.
Here has currently
been blocked off while
search efforts are ongoing.
Is there any estimate to how
long the gear will be blocked
off? No, I don't have an estima.
I was informed that they're in e
process of recovering the aircraft now,
so that's why it was closed.
We'll get that open as soon as possible,
but I can't provide you with an estimate
right now. Captain, can you ple?
Names of the deceased.
Can you spell them for me?
Sure. Lumpkin is spelled
LUMPKIN and Beaver is Bea VER.
There was some fishermen on the
pier this morning that said thed
come in to jetty about 4:45.
So one of your folks, you know,
lower down, not even lift up the ramp and.
Head right out there.
Was that related to this at all or just.
Well we were in we've been involved in the
in the search all night so they may have
been coming and going from the location.
This was 445 yesterday afternoo.
Yesterday afternoon because when
they when they heard that it
happened it what time did you s?
Yeah they said you know the Vene
police and a whole bunch of boas
headed out there through the je.
Yeah, that would have been unrelated.
I haven't, I don't have any information
on what they're doing at that t.
Are you able to describe what you said?
There were witnesses on the pier that saw the
crash. Are you able to relate kd
of what they was it up and downr
over kind of what they relate to you?
I'm not able to get into the
that part because it's part
of the investigation side, I
guess maybe for the airport in the city,
just how hard. Stand up here agn
four months later, very similar
crash. Well, it's certainly
unexpected. I mean,
I've been working here for 16 ys
and the last crash was the first crash
that went off into the gulf like that.
So they have two in that short
period of time is certainly unu,
but I mean, it's really too
early to make any conclusions.
Because we have to see what happened,
you know, what was the cause of this crash?
They could be two completely
unrelated causes and it just
happened to be that close toget.
We just don't know yet.
And if there was a tower,
a control tower would have
been anything different.
Maybe the airport director gave
that. Probably not. The ones wee
favoring that room way at the t,
so. There's nothing that the
control flight controllers could
have done to stop the accident
or the more safe or anything.
I wouldn't want to speculate on something
like that, but I wouldn't think.
The crash that happened just,
you know, last December,
the pilot was relatively a
new pilot in a rented plane.
Are you seeing more new pilots ,
you know, low hours just after
they've received their license,
you know, flying?
We don't, we don't monitor that
really that it's that that as
I said the the certification of
airman that's the FAA that's ths
where they get their license frm
and that's who checks to make se
that they're proficient in thats
the airport growing and more.
I mean we were there today and
we saw a lot of planes landing.
Is it seem to be a busier airport now
than you guys been in the years past.
I've been here 6 1/2 years.
It seems a little bit busier,
but you were actually
here on a very busy day.
Thursdays are days that our locl
pilots go out and fly out for l,
so you saw a lot of activity.
We usually see a lot of activitn
Thursdays because of our base pilots.
I
have no idea.
A flight data recorders. Now
we have recovered some video foe
from the pier and also we have e
cameras located near the airport
and those are all being reviewed
and they'll be forwarded to NTS.
Of maybe people at the restaura,
people on the pier, if the
Carters are here right now,
is there any preventative measures or
anything that you want, pilots or anybody,
maybe they're not familiar with
the area, flying in and out.
Is there something that you want out to
the public for people to be aware of?
Well, again, we're a public facility.
We can't stop anybody from coming in,
we can't stop them from leaving.
We're under the purview of the FAA and
we can't restrict operations in any way.
So that's up to the pilot, that's up to them.
Come in and get a parking spot.
What kind of information
do they have to do to you?
Do we know the tech plane or
they don't, they don't give us
any that information at all.
They go through the the fixed
space operator on the field.
What kind of information do
they give them? Do you know
whatever the whatever they need.
Like I said they paid a parking
fee and that was it. They didn't
take on fuel or any of that. And
I think I wrote the answer to t,
but I just want to confirm
with you there were no.
Weather anomalies last night.
Nothing atmospherically that
would have been out of the
ordinary or anything like that.
Not that I know of them.
When I was out on the pier was
very it was a beautiful night.
Are you aware of anybody who saw
anything that or heard anything
abnormal about this one? No.
Maybe it's already been asked, .
You know in light of two accidents and
and you know seven people tragically,
you know are dying.
Are you going to review some steps and
maybe put in some new procedurer
people that fly in and leave oru
know things like that maybe this
that are done for commercial flowers.
Well as I said are we can't rest
the operations at the airport at all.
The FAA precludes us from doingt
and our responsibility and whate
do is we make sure that the air.
Is safe and and in a safe
condition to be used well.
If a pilot chooses to come or go
they wouldn't contact us.
So if they were talking to
flight to air traffic control
they would interact with them.
Would you mind saying your
name? My name is Mark Servaccio,
Cer Va Sio airport director.
Have you heard those complaints
from the pilot to use?
Is there anything that you know
you're recommending for people
who are making that complaint?
I wouldn't take it upon myself o
make recommendations above and beyond
the Faa's requirements to to cey
and and and give a pilot his license.
It they make the determination f
whether or not that person is capable
of operating an aircraft on their own.
Me as the airport director don't
have no purview over that.
As I said, that's not up to
the airport, that's between.
That's the pilots choice
to make to take off.
At night towards the gulf,
that's up to them.
If they think they can handle i,
they do it. It's
going to be a busy weekend with
the holiday on Sunday being Eas.
You have a message to anybody
who might be flying in.
Just be safe. What can they do?
Please be safe and and follow
the follow the Faa's requiremens
as per operating your aircraft.
What was your reaction when yout
the news last night that. Oh my,
gut wrenching,
that's what else can be said.
Yeah, they're not available just yet,
so we'll be working with NTSB af
we get the OK from them to rele.
You certainly will.
One other question.
When you park a plane at the airport,
it's behind fences, right.
So there's no one could go and
do something to the plane. Yes.
The airport secure. Any other
questions? Thank you. OK. And did you
need my name as well? Yes. Yes. OK. Yes.
So it's captain Andy Lysring Lei Sen.
RING, thank you everybody. Appreciate it.