Radio contact was lost with pilot's ambulance
The Associated Press

The ambulance that transported the victim, 22-year-old pilot Logan Flood, over the 226 miles from Ainsworth to Lincoln was out of contact for more than 30 minutes at a time, Saint Elizabeth Regional Medical Center spokeswoman Jo Miller said.

Radio dead spots, especially in north-central Nebraska, have been a concern of the Nebraska State Patrol and other agencies.

Gov. Mike Johanns, who has asked the Legislature to approve a multimillion-dollar upgrade of the state's emergency radio system, said he was upset to hear about lost communications during Flood's ambulance trip.

Flood, of Wood River, remained in critical condition Friday in Saint Elizabeth's burn unit after walking away from the crash that killed the other pilot.

Raja P. Somasundaram, 29, of Lincoln, was killed when the small plane crashed in freezing rain while attempting an emergency landing Wednesday morning at the Ainsworth Municipal Airport.

The plane was carrying a shipment of nuclear-medicine supplies to the Cherry County Hospital in Valentine, about 45 miles to the north.

Investigators with the Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board planned to inspect the crash site.

Both men worked for Silverhawk Aviation of Lincoln. Somasundaram had immigrated to the United States from Singapore in the mid-1990s to learn how to fly. After completing a two-year aviation program in Texas, he earned his degree in aviation.

Flood recently graduated from the University of Nebraska at Kearney's aviation program.

The Beechcraft Baron plane apparently had icing problems and was trying to land when it crashed about one-half mile north of the airport at about 6:30 a.m. CST.

The airplane's landing gear was down, and the runway was coated with ice at the time.

The plane burst into flames. Icy conditions slowed response teams by about 30 minutes.

Contents © 2008 by David Schoenberger