Albert Kip Schaaf Class of 1965

Departed~10/01/03~Plane crash

If you are a friend of Kip's, and had not heard this news until now, his family apologizes. We tried to get the news out as best we could, but were not able to access his address book until now. Inevitably, some of his friends will not have been reached.

If you are a business contact of his, this will serve to inform you that Kip is no longer with us. Please adjust your directories to reflect this fact.

Regretfully,

Tim Schaaf (Kip's brother)
Barbara Schaaf (Kip's mother)

Derek Simmonsen staff writer

October 2, 2003 - ST. LUCIE COUNTY -- A seaplane that crashed near Interstate 95 last week experienced engine trouble soon after takeoff, according to a preliminary report.

Two passengers were killed and the pilot injured when the twin-engine Grumman Albatross landed in a bee farm north of Indrio Road last Thursday afternoon during a test flight. It took off from the St. Lucie County International Airport and made an emergency landing about three miles away.
The first sign of trouble occurred shortly after takeoff, as the right engine's revolutions per minute began to fluctuate, according to the National Transportation Safety Board's preliminary report. Information in the report released Wednesday draws from an interview with pilot John W. Russell, the sole survivor of the crash.

When the plane reached an altitude of about 500 feet, the right engine warning light came on and Russell completed an emergency shutdown on the engine, the report states. He alerted the airport's control tower and told controllers of the plane's problems and that he planned to land on one of the airport runways.

As the plane continued parallel to the runway, the left engine's revolutions per minute also began to decrease, the report states. The engine slowed and Russell was not able to steer the plane toward the runway.

He again contacted the tower and said he planned to land on a different runway, the report states. The plane began losing altitude at that time.

"The pilot prepared to make an off-airport emergency landing in a field," the report states. "The airplane stalled and collided with the trees as the pilot maneuvered for the emergency landing."

Witnesses Blake Lynch and Kolton Kruger helped free Russell from the plane amid a swarm of bees before rescue crews arrived, according to a Sheriff's Office report.

Passengers and close friends -- Jon Anderson, 56, of Lakeland, and Albert H. "Kip" Schaaf, 56, of Richmond, Calif. -- died from injuries they received in the crash. Schaaf was pronounced dead at the scene and Anderson died from his injuries overnight at Holmes Regional Medical Center in Melbourne.

Russell, 53, no address given, was treated and released from Lawnwood Regional Medical Center & Heart Institute. According to his Web site, Russell is a retired British Airways pilot who has been trained in flying the seaplane.

The NTSB is continuing to investigate the accident and is working on moving the plane to an undisclosed location for further study, said Eric Alleyne, an NTSB air safety investigator. A crew from Air & Sea Crash Recovery, of Fort Lauderdale, was at the crash site Wednesday assisting the agency.

"I'll be doing a full examination of the airplane," Alleyne said. "I'll look at the flight controls, look over all of the maintenance records, the pilot's records."

A final report on the crash will likely be complete in six months to a year, he said. Getting equipment back to the site, located down a dirt road in the woods off Indrio Road, was initially difficult, Alleyne said.

"It was just a matter of getting certain types of equipment back there," he said. He expected the plane to be moved within the next week, he said.

A memorial service was held Monday in Lakeland for Anderson. A service for Schaaf will likely take place next week, according to his brother, Tim Schaaf.

Schaaf, better known as Kip to family and friends, met Anderson when both were cadets at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Anderson ran his own law firm in Lakeland and Schaaf was a commercial airline pilot for Southwest Airlines and a flight instructor.

Schaaf volunteered his time with Angel Flight, a program that transports sick patients who could not otherwise afford to fly.

"His great passion had always been flying," Tim Schaaf said. "He had friends all over the world."

He had been interested in the Grumman Albatross for at least the past six months and was excited about taking time off from work to fly the plane, Schaaf said. Anderson's family declined to comment on the crash.

Memorial Service

The service was really very nice, comforting, celebratory, at times funny, and at others teary and very poignant. I'll send you the order of service if you like. just give me your address.

I think that kip was captured very well by the 6 speakers...two from west point, one from Bangkok (peter something I think-can't remember his name now-he's an architect now- who knew kip well in Bangkok and with whom he stayed in touch), an older man who was a member of the congregation in Berkeley, and spoke very touchingly about a breakfast group Kip was in with him and some other men from the congregation, and last by Tim. they all told stories about him and in all i would say he was summed up as being an ardent friend who went to great lengths to communicate with many many friends all over the world, Tim said "a collector of people", a kind and very thoughtful man who lived very much in the moment.......and also as a man of dogged persistence in pursuing his goal of becoming an airline pilot. one of the other Isber's at the reception referred to him as a nerd that was popular, which seemed so right as he then told a story of him at school with his trademark briefcase with papers spilling out of it all the time.

The service was a long mass, an hour and a half, which opened with "leaving on a jet plane" sung by a group of musicians and singers with whom Kip has sung over the years, which immediately reduced half the audience to tears. Barbara was wiping her eyes a lot...........Kip's ashes were in a wooden box on a small table with his captain's hat next to it, which was so poignant. The mass was interspersed with lots of music and had a very welcoming (the priest even invited everyone-catholic and non to participate in communion), slightly informal feel to it. I'm glad it was as long as it was as it left everyone feeling connected and i think satisfied with the celebration of his life.

Afterwards there was a very nice reception upstairs in a comfortable room with lots of wine and drinks and delicious food......satay and ceviche and lots of other goodies. we stayed until 11 pm talking about kip and meeting each other and sharing stories which was really great. Tim was sharing lots of sailing stories and old time stories and i think was having a ball seeing everyone again.

I met the other ISB folk.....Jamila now, then Cricket who I remember from the polo club, Alan Hinton (lives in Suisin city near Sacramento), Robin (can't remember the last name) live in the bay area.......I think they may consider coming to a reunion as the connections that kip had maintained were so obviously valuable to everyone. don't have addresses though......Tim should. if you do get them from him would you forward them to me also as I'd like to stay in contact.

Tim and Barbara will be in the bay area for a while longer- Kip's ashes will be buried in Palo Alto next to his Dad's and some other family...and then Tim and Barbara are going to have to deal with his condo I guess and his belongings. whew......such a big job and so sad.

All the Best,

Hallie Anderson 66'

Anecdote

Tribute

I first met Kip Schaaf on the airport/hotel bus, going to the Clearwater reunion in Florida. On this bus, somehow a conversation was started, we found out our common destination was the Reunion, and Kip remembered with a laugh that I had written an article for the ISB Newsletter about Jan Textor, the intrepid woman who directed the lay-out and publication of the Erawan in the beg. 70s. I had mentioned how her thick blond hair was always swept up in a most attractive way, and she ran the Erawan with an iron determination. Funny how words about this woman enabled two people to develop a solid friendship.

Living in Germany, we did not have day-to-day contact, but Kip often visited me and my daughter here ... as he could fly with splendid ease, whenever he wanted....
He tempted me to come to reunions with free plane flights, and in fact it was mainly due to Kip that I made the Virginia reunion, in the middle of a few weeks vacation back to the USA one summer.

He planned to come out to Jena this coming summer.
Now only the memories remain. With these few words, I send him my sadness, my tribute, my heart

Beth Ahrens-Kley ‚71

Tribute

I was saddened by the news of the tragic accident that took the life of a good friend Albert Kip Schaaf, on Sept.25th. I never knew Kip in Bangkok as he graduated 2 years before I arrived in Thailand but we became good friends and golfing partners as a result of the ISB Network. Kip missed only one reunion (Long Beach 98’) from the time he discovered the ISBN back in 1993 and that was to attend captains school for SW airlines. 

I will miss your calls and seeing you as you pass through Nashville. I will miss your honest enthusiasm in reuniting with old friends and your energy and efforts in getting people to the reunions. I feel that it is important to note that Kip was instrumental in getting former teen club band members from "The Sonics" to reunite and play at the R2K reunion. Kip being a musician himself filled in on bass guitar and his dream to locate all original members and get them to perform at a reunion will hopefully live on and come to fruition. I am sure that you are soaring high above us and that you now have realized your final reward.

Till we meet again good friend…..Sawaddi

David Wilkerson 71'

Tribute

It is with great sadness that I have to share with you the passing of our friend Kip Schaaf. He passed on doing what he loved, flying, now he is doing it in another realm. He had recently been certified to fly an albatross and was one of three in the plane when it crashed shortly after take off on Thursday Oct.2 from the Port St. Lucie airport in Florida. You can access articles on this by going to the internet.

Kip became our friend after we got to spend time with him in Bangkok at the January 2002 50th Anniversary celebration. He was a big fan of our ISB Network reunions and enjoyed visiting with all of us that shared our common bond of life in Bangkok. Kip was one of the few that spent most of his school years at ISB.

He was a big fan of golf and recently spent a night with us on a layover as a pilot for Southwest Airlines and spent a morning prior to his return flight practicing with my husband. We are going to miss his charming smile and quiet way of engaging us in conversation.

Maile McCoskrie-Lindley 67'