Raw Story: New details emerge on Connell's mysterious plane crash & death.

[99th_Monkey]

I'm glad to see Raw Story continuing to investigate Connell's mysterious death-by-plane-crash. There's nothing particularly
damning here, just a suspicious "lock-down" of info, as-yet unconfirmed "warnings" Connell had received to "not fly his plane",
and several aborted flights previous to the one resulting in his death.

Kudos to RawStory for their continuing investigation on this. :thumbsup:

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New information sheds more light on GOP IT guru's tragic death
Larisa Alexandrovna
Published: Tuesday January 13, 2009

New information surrounding the December plane crash which killed GOP internet consultant Michael Connell casts doubt on some of the rumors and speculation surrounding his death but doesn't close the books on the circumstances surrounding the Republican technology star's tragic end.

Michael Connell, a high-level IT guru for the Republican National Committee and the US Chamber of Commerce, died Dec. 19, 2008 at 5:53 PM ET when his airplane crashed near Ohio’s Akron-Canton airport.

Although there has been speculation in the media about the possibility of sabotage in Connell death, authorities do not suspect foul play. The official investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has not yet determined the cause of the crash; their final report is required to be produced within a year. **snip**

Information "Lockdown" – Details Withheld from Fire Department
Capt. Geisner expressed considerable frustration during several Raw Story interviews over what he alleges was the withholding of critical details by authorities.

"While en route to the fire, I asked dispatch to learn the size of the plane and the number of souls on board," Geisner explained. “This was not provided us." **snip**

Raw Story visited Summit Aviation Dec. 24 and located the wreckage, which was being held in a building without gated security or security camera surveillance. NTSB officials had examined the wreckage the day before. Last week, Summit Aviation said that Connell's insurance company had arranged for the transport of the plane to another longer term facility. **snip**

Allegations Relating to two Previous Flights
Since Connell’s tragic death, much confusion has resulted in speculation and erroneous reporting relating to two previously aborted flights.

On Dec. 21, for example, Channel 19, a local CBS affiliate in Cleveland, Ohio reported that an anonymous source had warned Connell not to fly and that two separate flights had been canceled

"Connell," the reporter said, "was apparently told by a close friend not to fly his plane because his plane might be sabotaged. ... And twice in the last two months, Connell, who is an experienced pilot, canceled two flights because of suspicious problems with his plane." **snip**

One Aborted Flight Confirmed
On Sept. 18, 2008, just a day before a stay was lifted in the King Lincoln Bronzeville Neighborhood Association v. Blackwell case - which alleged vote tampering in Ohio during the 2004 election - Connell embarked on a flight from the Akron-Canton airport. According to flight data obtained by Raw Story, he was heading to the College Park, MD airport, which he often used when attending meetings and functions in DC.

Connell’s trip lasted only 23 minutes before he turned around and returned to the Akron-Canton airport. **snip**

http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Foul_play_not_suspected_in_GOP_0113.html