Ex. Sen. Stevens (R-AK) killed in plane crash

[Landslide Lyndon]

http://www.ktuu.com/global/Story.asp?s=12952729


Stevens killed in crash near Dillingham

Posted: Aug 10, 2010 10:03 AM Updated: Aug 10, 2010 7:57 PM

A longtime aide and family friend said Stevens was killed in the crash Monday night. (File/KTUU-DT) A longtime aide and family friend said Stevens was killed in the crash Monday night. (File/KTUU-DT)
Also on KTUU.COM

by Channel 2 News staff
Monday, August 9, 2010

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – Dave Dittman, a former aide and longtime family friend of former Sen. Ted Stevens says Stevens was killed in a plane crash near Dillingham Monday night. Dittman says he received a call overnight Monday that said the former Senator was dead. Nine people were on board, including former NASA Chief Sean O'Keefe. Five people were killed in the crash, but other identities were not known, nor are the conditions of the survivors.

Late through the night rescue crews were battling bad weather conditions to reach the scene, where Good Samaritan personnel had already made it, said Air National Guard spokesman Maj. Guy Hayes.

A military C-130 and a Pave Hawk helicopter were waiting in Dillingham for the weather to break and reached the site just after 7:30 a.m. Tuesday.

The Air Guard received the call about the crash 17 miles north of Dillingham at about 7:00 PM Monday night.

A woman who answered the phone at former State Sen. Ben Stevens' home said they would not comment.

FAA records show the plane is registered to GCI.

The National Transportation Safety Board is sending a "Go-Team" from Washington D.C. early Tuesday morning to the crash site. An NTSB official said the team is responsible for investigating the most high profile, and catastrophic crashes.

[Landslide Lyndon]

The man was no great American historical figure. It's not like he was some sort of hero or man with great accomplishment. I don't really get why you're all treating him as if he was one of the most important Senators ever to grace the Senate with his presence (changing avatars now to remember some incredibly unintelligent routinely misinformed criminal geezer from Alaska? He's no Kennedy or Byrd, people), because even though I hate death, I gotta be the one to say it; Senator Stevens wasn't really 'all that'.

Not to be too much of a hack on such a sad day, but I have to say this.

I hardly think Kennedy (I assume you are refering to Ted) was any better.

Ted Kennedy had Chappaquiddick.

The only difference between the two men is that Ted was elevated to sainthood by the liberals.

And the fact that Kennedy was the man responsible for many important bills while Stevens's greatest accomplishment was the amount of pork he funneled to Alaska.

[Landslide Lyndon]

RIP. I supported Begich two years ago, but this is a very tragic end for one of our longest serving senators.

As a casual thought, he lived a full life of public service, successfully fought off the government charges against him to avoid dying in a jail cell, and passed away in a non-torturous manner at the age of 86.

RIP, of course.  

Now that's ironic. If he had pleaded guilty he would be safe and very much alive in his jail cell.