Dale “Snort”Snodgrass Killed In Crash Of Light Plane
The former Navy fighter pilot and airshow performer perished in a crash in Idaho.
Former Naval aviator Dale "Snort" Snodgrass died in the crash of a light plane at the Lewiston-Nez Perce County Airport in western Idaho. Snodgrass was flying an SIAI-Marchetti SM.1019, an Italian liaison with a small turboprop plane that was developed based on the design of the Cessna L-19 Bird Dog.
Snodgrass reportedly had more than 5,000 hours in the F-14 Tomcat. According to a story in Stars and Stripes, he was awarded the Fighter Pilot of the Year Award in 1985. He flew as a demo pilot for the Navy for a decade, and after retiring from the service, flew hundreds of shows as an aerobatics performer at some of the biggest airshows in the country.
The crash happened Saturday around noon, shortly after the single-engine taildragger had taken off. Based on photographs of the post-crash fire, the wreckage looked to be confined to a small area adjacent to the runway. The NTSB is investigating the crash.
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