Gannon, Kurt Leo – 1959-1982

GANNON, WENDLING

Posted By: Diana Wagner
Date: 12/1/2022 at 13:51:27

Colfax Area Man Dies in Plane Crash
Dubuque – Inspection teams from the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board continued an investigation today into a Friday night plane crash which killed a Colfax pilot.
Kurt L. Gannon, 23, and Kathryn Mitchell, 22, of Oak Lawn, Ill. died when their American Central Airlines plane crashed near the Dubuque airport.
Gannon and Mitchell were the pilot and co-pilot. The twin-engine Piper Navaho was carrying no passengers.
The plane was enroute from Des Moines to Dubuque, and was listed as missing at 8:30 p.m. Friday. A search was called off in the pre-dawn hours Saturday due to heavy fog. When the search resumed Saturday the plane’s wreckage was spotted from the air in a farm field about one mile from the Dubuque airport and one-half mile from US 151.
Authorities said the plane apparently clipped the top of a tree, crashed and burned, scattering wreckage over a wide area.
The ceiling at the time of the crash was 800 feet with visibility of about one mile. Weather conditions were said to be well above minimum for landing at the Dubuque airport.
Source: Newton (IA) Daily News; December 27, 1982

Tuesday Services for Kurt Gannon, Victim of Crash
Colfax – Funeral services for Kurt Leo Gannon, 23, of Colfax, who was killed in an airplane accident near Dubuque Friday, will be held at 19:30 a.m. Tuesday at the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Colfax.
Mr. Gannon, a lifelong resident of Jasper County, was a pilot for American Central Airlines of Dubuque.
Father Edward Susic, pastor of the church, will conduct services. Burial will be in McKeever Cemetery north of Colfax.
Rosary will be recited at 7:30 p.m. today at Walters-Coburn Funeral Home in Colfax.
The casket will not be opened at any time.
Memorials to Progress Industries in Newton will be accepted and may be left at the funeral home.
He is survived by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Edward J. Gannon Jr. of Colfax, seven brothers and sisters, Mark of Cedar Falls and Julie, Matt, Doug, Joan, Eric and Ann, all of Colfax, and his maternal grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Herb Wendling of Independence.
He was preceded in death by his paternal grandparents.
Mr. Gannon was a member of the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Colfax.
The 1977 Colfax Community High School graduate played bass guitar professionally in several area musical groups.
The son of Edward J. and Gen Wendling Gannon, he was born July 22, 1959 in Des Moines.
After graduation from high school, he completed flight training for his captain’s rating.
Source: Newton (IA) Daily News; December 27, 1982