Noted aerobatic pilot ‘Seamus’ McCaughley, Kristen Keppel die after S.P. Airport takeoff
July 08, 2011
By Peggy Kelly
Santa Paula News
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James “Seamus” McCaughley Jr. |
James “Seamus” McCaughley Jr. had an infectious smile and upbeat attitude that was even evident when he performed daring aerobatics in his distinctive blue Christian Eagle II, affectionately known as his “Bleagle.”
But McCaughley, 43, with his companion, Kristin Keppel, 40, of Glendale, was piloting his Cessna C180 Sunday evening when it went down after taking off from Santa Paula Airport.
Neither survived the crash that occurred at about 8:25 p.m. July 3 after the Cessna lost power, hit power lines and came down on a Santa Clara River bank about two miles southwest of the airport. Santa Paula Police and Fire personnel responded to the report of a plane down with smoke showing in the unincorporated area not easily accessible to public safety equipment.
A helicopter joined in the firefight with Ventura County Firefighters who used extinguishers to douse the flames and quickly confirmed one fatality.
It wasn’t until airport witnesses reported two people were in the plane McCaughley had been using for touch and go landings that emergency personnel used thermal imaging to discover the second body, reportedly a considerable distance from the wreckage.
The Ventura County Medical Examiner/Coroners Office determined McCaughley died of thermal injuries, with smoke and soot inhalation. Results on the autopsy on Keppel’s cause of death have not yet been released and are awaiting toxicology reports. The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation into the incident.
“Seamus,” who adopted the Gaelic version of his name to pay homage to his Irish roots, was a popular member of the Santa Paula Airport family who had moved to the area in recent years with his distinctive biplane, which the skilled mechanic had rebuilt himself. He had been a featured performer in the August 2010 Santa Paula Airport Air Festival celebrating the airfield’s 80th anniversary.
McCaughley’s Facebook page for his business, Seamus McCaughley Air Shows, notes he grew up the Mission Viejo area as part of an aviation family including his pilot father. He was always a talented mechanic, including working on helicopters in the Army and acting as a mechanic and race driver for high performance cars and motorcycles. In fact, while racing the latter he was involved in a serious accident, which led him to concentrate more on aerobatics.
A commercial pilot, McCaughley also was involved in aerial photography, Skytyping, test flights and towing banners, among other aviation services. Described as a “gentleman on the ground and a showman in the air,” his business Facebook page continued to be filled with tributes, messages of sympathy to the family and information about his life, career and girlfriend Keppel.
McCaughley had described himself as being in airplanes since the time he was born, notably the family’s Cessna 210. He was fond of children and sharing his joy of flight with them, writing to “encourage flying and following a dream.”
Services are pending.
