An experienced Cape Air pilot and Vineyard Haven resident was killed on Friday night in single plane crash in the woods off State Road in West Tisbury. It was the first fatal Cape Air crash in the history of the airline.
David D. Willey was pronounced dead at the scene. He was the sole occupant of the plane, a 1981 twin engine nine-passenger Cessna 402. The plane flown by Mr. Willey left the Martha’s Vineyard Airport at approximately 8 p.m. from runway 33 on a repositioning flight headed for Boston. Because it was a respositioning flight, there were no passengers on board, said Michelle Haynes, communications director for Cape Air. A few minutes after takeoff the plane went down in a wooded residential area across the road from Nip n’ Tuck Farm, about two and a half miles from the airport.
West Tisbury police said the plane skimmed the top of one home before crashing into the woods. There were no other injuries. West Tisbury police and firefighters, tri-town ambulance and state police were dispatched to the scene. Chilmark police also assisted. The weather was variable with intermittent light and heavy rain.
The scene of the crash remained closed off on Saturday morning while state and federal authorities, including officials from the National Transportation Safety Board, investigated.
“We are all in mourning today,” said Ms. Haynes. “This is the first we’ve ever experienced.”
This article appears in September 26, 2008.
My heart aches for Dave’s wonderful wife and children. Dave was a wonderful human being and will be terribly missed by many.
Our prayers go out to Dave’s family and the entire Cape Air team. Dave was an outstanding aviator and a respected professional. Dave’s memory and legacy will be carried forward by those pilots his life impacted and by the passengers he served so faithfully.
I met Dave almost 30 years ago at Tradewinds airport. He was a great aviator, friend and family man. I was crushed when I read the news this morning, my heart goes out to his wife and children.
My deepest sympathy to Dave’s family and the extended Cape Air family.
As an AO crewmmember at Jetblue our thoughts and prayers are with Capt and his family
please remove the graphic photos of the site. This is not what the family and friends need to see. Respect is the operative word in this situation, not newspapers sold
We were flying famine relief to South Sudan and Ethiopea during the late 1980’s when I first met Dave. He couldn’t wait to get back to his wife and kids on Martha’s Vineyard.
In 2003, Dave Captained a crippled Boeing 747 to a safe landing in Seoul, Korea after the aircraft blew a tire on takeoff, which jammed the wing flaps and caused a loss of hydraulics.
I ran into him several months ago at Logan Airport, Boston, and he was so pleased with his gig flying out of his home town.
I am deeply saddened, and my heart goes out to his family.
Capt. Dan Hawk, JetBlue Airways
As an Air Traffic Controller at Boston, I want to first say we will miss working with such a professional as Dave Willey. We would meet with him often to discuss operations or just say hi.
When talking to him you could tell he loved life and what he was doing. My condolences go out to his family and friends. I personally will miss talking to KAP1055, Dave Willey.
The thoughts and prayers of my entire family go out to the Cape Air family during this tragic time. As a former Cape Air employee, I know how strong the company is and that they will survive, even with this tragedy.
My condolences to the Willey Family for you sad loss. I knew Dave from the old Southern Air Transport and the re-born Southern Air Inc. He had the respect and friendship of all of those who met him. He will be missed.
On behalf of the Air Traffic Controllers at Boston TRACON, we would like to extend our deepest sympathy to his family and friends over the loss of Dave Willey. Although we never got to meet him personally, he was great to work with and always patient and professional; especially when things got busy. We feel as though we lost a good friend.
As a seasonal resident of Vineyard Haven and wife of a 60 year-old private pilot, I was deeply saddened to hear to tragic news of Capt.Willey’s death. My heart goes out to his family and community.
I moved out here on Dec. 31st, 2007 to take a job as a controller in the tower on the vineyard, Dave was the person i first met, he flew me from boston to the vineyard for my new job and talked to me the whole way and welcomed me to the island, i talke to Dave on a daily basis on the radio and just around the airport, in the short time i have known Dave i could tell he had a real deep passion for flying and was just a nice person all around. I could tell he loved family because he always asked me how mine was doing, it was a pleasure to have met dave and he will always be remembered in my heart, deepest sympathy goes out to his family. Dave the skies will never be the same without you, you will be deeply missed.
Daves greatest passions were flying and his family. My sister and I will never forget Dave’s homemade plane in the backyard of their home in California. I will miss you Dave. My love and sincerest sympathy to his family.
Sending lots of hugs and our deepest sympathy to Jackie, Megan, Ross and Sophie.
Our deepest sympathies and Peace and Love to Jackie and family.
As part of the jetBlue family, I send my deepest sympathy and you are win my thoughts and prayers. May god bless you and keep you strong..
you were ever a saint
and sky bound
you were welcomed into the heavens in life
and in death, the clouds
they raised your breath
and body
from the ground.
The lives of great men and women seem to attest that leaving this world doing what one loves to do is an abundant blessing granted to very few. I will always remember Captain Willey as a man of value, a man of integrety and great passion. I pray to God to receive Captain Willey into His everlasting Kingdom, and to grant solace and peace to the Willey family at this difficult moment.
As a summer weekend commuter to MV for the past five years, I’ve come to know many of the employees at Cape Air including Dave, who piloted me many times. I’m embarrassed to admit that I developed an irrational fear of flying on those small planes and would often share a laugh with Dave about my phobia after landing. When the weather looked stormy I always hoped Dave would be my pilot. I just felt more safe with that man behind the controls. Maybe it was Dave’s patrician look and overall air of competance.
I always took note of his pre-flight safety check – and the revving of the engines; it was thorough, deliberate and vigorous. He seemed like a man who enjoyed his job and took it very seriously.
On Friday nights he’d sometimes put on the Red Sox on the radio while taxying at Logan. These are some of my memories. I extend by deepest sympathies to his family and co-workers. What a gentleman.
I’m a physician living with my family in the Boston area with a small home on the Vineyard. I have been working in a clinic on the Vineyard every Friday for the last two years.
I would fly down to the island every Friday morning and return each evening to Boston. Dave Willey was often the pilot for my flight.
The flights were easy enough and filled with tourists during the summer months, but during the winter months it would not be unusual for me to be the only passenger in the plane. During these months the weather was at times difficult, with strong winds blowing and vision very limited. A number of the landings in Boston were extremely challenging due to this weather. Dave never failed to accomplish a smooth landing, even against powerfull crosswinds. I would congratulate him on accomplishing what seemed to be an almost impossible achievement on landing the plane. He would always chuckle and shrug off the compliment.
At times, with the rest of the plane empty and dark, as we were bounced around by the winds, I would sit in the co-pilot’s seat. At one point, at the end of one of these flights, I mentioned to him that I loved flying in the smaller planes, because you really felt like you were flying. He turned with a warm smile and suggested that I could take flying lessons, mentioning that there were a number of female pilots on the Cape Air crew.
I felt a bond with Dave and very safe with him as my pilot whenever we flew, always looking forward to the next flight with him as my pilot. He would always wish me and my family “have a good week” in Boston but was clearly glad to be returning to the Vineyard himself.
I will miss him immensely and think of him every time I fly. I can only imagine what a terrible loss his family, friends, and co-workers must be feeling. May I extend my sincerest sympathies to everyone who knew him.
Joyce
Our deepest sympathy goes out to the Willey Family. May GOD keep you all. Seek HIM for comfort. Prayers and Condolenses.