THREE VENICE YOUTHS KILLED IN EVERGLADES PLANE CRASH
HERALD TRIBUNE
VENICE-The wreckage of a single engine light plane, in which three venice residents died.was found in the Everglades Sunday. The 3 in flight from Venice to Key West when the plane crashed Saturday in a rainstorm,were identified as Stephen Ramsey 20 , 370 Briarwood road
; Mark Punkar 20, 1612 Noponsit Drive
and Renee Chylla 19 1035 Venetian Parkway.
Pilot Stephen Ramsey , the Caesna 172 aircraft
flew into a thunder storm about 5 pm. Saturday, according to a spokesman for the Ft Myers flight service. The crash occurred in a remote area of Monroe County after the departure from Venice Airport 90 minutes earillier, according to Mrs Harold Hagan, wife of owner of the Venice Flying Service from which the plane was leased. One of the planes accounts radioed in a frantic May Day signal just before the crash but did not give the nature of the distress call, a spokeman for the coast guard said.The call did not include any location. An extension search effort was launched with planes and hillicopters from the Coast Guard, Air Force and Civil Air Patrol.
Miss Chyllas father , Albert Chylla and 5 other local pilots also helped in civilian search for the plane. But the bodies of the three young persons and the downed plane were not sighted until Sunday by a Coast Guard Hillicopter. Some hunters and forest rangers at a nearby station heavy rain storms in the area hampered search efforts. After the wreckage was located, a conservation officer was lowered from the helicopter to the site and confirmed three passengers were dead. The responsibitity for the moving of bodies were turned over to the Monroe County Sheriffs DeptCause of the crash was not been fully determined. The General Aviation District Office in Miami, charged with investigating the incident could not be reached for comment.
Ramsey the pilot had only obtained his private pilots license 3 months ago and was not licensed to fly in bad weather. According to Mrs. Hagan. Wife of the owner of the plane. She questioned why the Fort Myers Flight Service had approved Stephens flight plan when he filed for a visual flight reference piloting plan. Ramsey was not licensed to fly with only the instruments to guide him through stormy weather, she said. But a spokesman for the Fort Myers Flight Service said it was standard procedure to approve flight plans for pilots that only had visual flight licenses when there was scattered thundar storm activity. The spokesman said pilots can see a thunder storm and fly around it or turn back. When a *pilot flys visual flight reference, hes on his own.The individual must of known his own limitations. Said spokesman.
The piliot never be in a situation where for lack of enough fuel he could not turn back and land at a different airport than designated on his flight plan.Mrs Haggun discounted the possibility that there was any mechanical failure saying the plane was a 1975 model and was purchased 6 weeks ago. The passengers were on there way to key west to visit Renee Chyllas Aunt. Her mother mrs Barbra chylla said.
Mrs Cylla learned later that the person the plane crash victims intended to visit had driven through the Everglades within a hour of the accident, unaware that Renee and her companions planned a surprise visit. She was a very intelligent beautiful, smart girl. RS Chylla Said about her daughter with a emotional filled voice. Renee was a graduate from Sarasota High school at the age of 16. She had been working for the National Archies Institute in Tallahassee for 6 months as a laboratory and photo technician, he mother said .Rennee tried skin diving swimming and horseback riding, her mother said. She celebrated her birthday the day of the fatal crash.
Ramsey the pilot was very enthusiastic about flying. He had been flying as a student for several months,said his father Webb Ramsey Jr, He was self employed as a carpenter and was a graduate of Venice High School with vocational training in Sarasota. He liked water sking, boating, hunting in additional to flying his father said. Right now I;m confused I really don’t have anyting … it’s a shock to us his father said.
Mark Punkar worked with Steven at carpentry Allan Punkar father said. He was a friendly boy Most people , young and adult liked him. His mother said. Mark also liked flying although he was not a pilot, she said. He was a graduate of Venice High School.
Funeral services for the accident victims are being held at Farleys
Cause of death
Sharon Schwindt 
