Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, August 21, 1994 TAG: 9408210049
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By MICHAEL STOWE STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Mike Benson, a spokesman for the National Transportation Board, said investigators found a bolt was missing from the plane's throttle system and that it appeared that the throttle either wasn't working or wasn't working properly.
Benson said no conclusions have been reached and that the investigation will continue.
Joseph Kulwicki, the single-engine plane's pilot, was upgraded to satisfactory condition and moved from Roanoke Memorial Hospital's intensive-care unit.
Kulwicki, 55, suffered a fractured pelvis, a concussion and internal bruising when his small plane clipped a tree and slammed onto the golf course.
Sally Ramey, a spokeswoman for the hospital, said the pilot, Joseph Kulwicki of Meadville, Pa., was in good spirits and even told a nurse that he was a cousin of the late race car driver Alan Kulwicki.
Alan Kulwicki - the 1992 Winston Cup champion - was killed when a two-engine plane in which he was passenger plunged into a rural hillside near Blountville, Tenn., in April 1993.
It was rumored Friday that Joseph Kulwicki might have been Alan Kulwicki's uncle. But Alan's father, Gerald Kulwicki, said that he didn't know anyone named Joseph Kulwicki.
Ramey said the injured pilot didn't say if he was the racer's first cousin or a more distant relative. "He didn't want to make a big deal out of it," she said.
The crash killed passengers David Peterson, 44, of Cochranton, Pa., and his wife, Charlene Peterson, 45. The plane, which was en route to Pittsburgh, had stopped in Roanoke to refuel.
Seven Army helicopter flew onto the Countryside Golf Course on Saturday and lifted away the plane's wreckage about 1 p.m.
"It's not there anymore, just bloodstains," said a pro shop worker.
"The engine is being shipped backed to its manufacturer in Pennsylvania for tests," an FAA official said.
The Associated Press contributed information to this story.
by CNB