~ IN MEMORY ~
Military veteran, WA/DL Capt. James Edward Degnan
June 27, 1945 ~ March 20, 2022
From dear friends and family we have learned of
the tragic death of retired Western/Delta pilot Captain Jim Degnan, age 76. The fatal incident occurred on March 20th
in Hawaii….various articles are available online or please see below. Captain Degnan joined Western Airlines 02-07-1977
and retired with Delta Air Lines in 2004 based 030/CVG. He is survived by his wife Margaret.
We understand that arrangements have been
entrusted to the Kauai Memorial Gardens Funeral Home. The funeral home website is https://www.kauaimemorialgardens.com/ Arrangements are not yet known.
Should more news be received we will be sure to
pass along those updates.
Thank you,
~ Carol for the PCN
JAMES DEGNAN BIOGRAPHY
Jim was born in Youngstown, Ohio, to Paul and
Kathleen Degnan, on June 27, 1945.
His interest in flying began after watching
airplane activity at the old Toledo metropolitan
airport while still pre-school age. He attended
grade school in Toledo Ohio and Monroe
Michigan, and the high school St. Francis DeSales,
near Toledo. From there he
attended University of Toledo for a BBA in
transportation logistics. Meanwhile, he took
flight lessons at the Toledo municipal airport,
and worked with all sorts of aircraft
maintenance and care.
At that time, the draft board was active, so after
graduation from college in 1968, he
made the choice to join the Navy as a better
alternative to ground fighting in the
Vietnam war.
The Navy had a short officer candidate school,
along with basic single-engine
education, including carrier qualification on the
Wasp. At Corpus Christi the aviators
learned formation and multi-engine flying. That
was followed by a few months in CA
before joining VP-6 at Barbers Point. The squadron
was deployed to Naha, Okinawa,
Cubi Point, and various destinations while flying
anti-submarine missions over the
ocean around Viet Nam. Even time spent at “home”
on Oahu consisted of many sorties
over the ocean. The P-3 they flew was a 4-engine
turboprop, known in airline travel as
the Lockheed Electra.
Jim was released from the Navy in 1973, and
continued to fly with Nomads, in Detroit,
a travel club using the Electra for jaunts to
attractive club destinations, as well as
working as a Naval reservist, and private work as
available. 1973 was a time of general
fuel shortage, and the airlines were not hiring.
In February, 1977 he started with Western Airlines
out of L.A., until Delta bought them.
He lived in Cupertino, CA, and then in Indiana,
while based in Cincinnati. He flew for
Delta until 2004, retiring with Margaret to the
condo on Kauai.
He started with the Civil Air Patrol in August,
2005. There he found the comradeship of
others committed to necessary tasks that allowed
emergency notification for all of Kauai
residents, even those without access to usual
phone and radio information.
With the help of Lihue civil air patrol, Jim was
honored to be awarded recognition for
“Fifty Years of Dedicated Service in Aviation
Safety” from the Department of
Transportation Federal Aviation Administration.
………………………………………..
https://www.cap.news/hawaii-wing-mourns-loss-of-two-pilots/
Two
Civil Air Patrol pilots participating in a Hawaii Wing tsunami alert training
mission March 20 perished in an accident on Kaua’i.
“We
lost two valued members of our CAP ohana (family) this
weekend,” said Col. Chantal Lonergan, Hawaii Wing commander. “Our hearts remain
with their families.”
Lt.
Col. James E. Degnan and Capt. David J. Parker, both retired military pilots,
participating in the wing’s monthly U.S. Air Force-assigned exercises when the
accident occurred over land about 3 p.m. Hawaii Standard Time — just 11 minutes
into their flight.
Fire
Air 1 responded and located the wreckage of the aircraft on a ridge near the
Pihea Trail in Koke’e State Park on the island’s northwest side. Rescuers were
unable to reach the crash site until this morning because of the mountainous
terrain and inclement weather that moved into the area. The bodies were
recovered when the weather cleared.
Both
men were members of the Kaua’i Composite Squadron, based in Lihue.
Degnan,
76, was the squadron’s operations and alerting officer. Parker, 77, served as
the unit’s emergency services officer. Both were experienced pilots and served
in the Vietnam War.
“The
Hawaii Wing’s tsunami alert flights are among the most important missions
performed by Civil Air Patrol,” Lonergan said. “Our aircrews train year-round
and have provided this valuable service for more than 50 years now. Their
vigilant efforts have saved countless lives.”
The
training accident's cause is under investigation.
http://www.kathrynsreport.com/2022/03/cessna-172p-skyhawk-n98763-fatal.html
Cessna 172P Skyhawk, N98763: Fatal accident
occurred March 20, 2022 in Kekaha, Hawaii
National Transportation Safety Board accident
number: ANC22LA025
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards
District Office; Honolulu, Hawaii
Aircraft crashed under unknown circumstances on
Kalalau Lookout mountain.
Civil Air Patrol Inc
https://registry.faa.gov/N98763
KOKE‘E — Two men were killed Sunday when a Civil
Air Patrol Cessna 172P Skyhawk crashed in the mountainous terrain about 13
miles north of Kekaha, in Kalalau Valley.
The victims were identified by Kaua‘i Police
Department as Princeville resident Lt. Col. James E. Degnan, 76, and Kapa‘a
resident Captain David J. Parker, 78. They were conducting monthly
tsunami-warning practice runs for CAP.
“We extend our sincere condolences to the loved
ones of James and David, and our partners over at the Civil Air Patrol, whom we
work with closely,” said KPD Investigative Services Bureau Assistant Chief
Bryson Ponce in a statement. “These individuals were seasoned pilots who were part
of our Kaua‘i community, and we know they will be missed deeply.”…………………………………………………
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