Douglas Stanton died Monday when new wings on his aircraft failed, sending him into a spiral.
By STEVE THOMPSON
Published July 30, 2003
The new wing Douglas Stanton had put on his ultralight was a little smaller than the one before. The smaller wing would let his craft go just a little faster.
But it failed him Monday afternoon, just a couple of weeks after its installation.
Moments after lifting off the runway at Tampa Bay Executive Airport near Odessa, the right side of his wing gave way. He entered a fatal spiral that landed him back on the pavement from about 100 feet in the air.
"It just folded up on him," his son, Drew Stanton, said Tuesday.
Stanton said his father had flown the two-seat ultralight with its new wing several times before without problems.
"It could support up to 900 pounds," he said, "so I don't see how it collapsed."
He said his father had been working on the wing just before the plane crashed. He had added extensions to a steering bar that would allow it to be steered from the rear seat.
Douglas Stanton's last flight was to be a short trip to test out the extensions. Stanton, an ultralight instructor, had planned to begin training two new students in the craft Tuesday.
Stanton, 47, of St. Petersburg, co-owned Douglas Aviation with a friend. During the three years since he began flying, he had trained nine students to fly - including 16-year-old Drew.
Drew Stanton soloed the ultralight for the first time two months before his father's death. The two shared a love for cruising the beaches and forests near Tampa.
"We could fly real close to the ground, like 10 feet off the ground through the trees," said Drew Stanton, "and come right up on deer."
He and his father would often cruise low over the water, or land on a beach and stop for a picnic.
Stanton's family and friends gathered Tuesday in St. Petersburg at the house of his mother, Ora Lee Stanton.
"He loved being up above and looking down," his mother said. "It was just marvelous the way he described it. He was just really thrilled."
Stanton's survivors include two sons, a daughter, and his ex-wife, DeWanna Stanton.
DeWanna Stanton said she still got along well with her ex-husband and that he played an active role in his children's lives.
He owned a company that lays underground cables and water pipes, in addition to his flight instruction business.
His flexible schedule allowed him to fly several times a week.
"He was just a very bright, likable chap," said his mother.
"He's been a joy for us for these 47 years," she said. "Now he's not here, so it's going to be hard."
