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A 19-year-old who had dreamed of becoming an astronaut and was training to become a fighter pilot dies over Christmas break.
By MELANIE AVE, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times, published December 29, 2001
RUSKIN -- Four years ago, Matthew Knight wrote a letter to the U.S. Air Force Academy.
"Thinking about my future," the 14-year-old wrote, "I have decided to make my career in the Air Force."
The boy who dreamed of becoming an astronaut went on to King High School and then to the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo. He was learning to become a fighter pilot when his plans were cut short Friday.
On Christmas break from the academy, 19-year-old Knight was headed to his Ruskin home from a friend's house, where he had spent the night. His father had told his only child to be home by 8 a.m. so the family could celebrate a belated Christmas.
Knight was driving his father's 1999 Corvette about 7:45 a.m. on 19th Avenue NE near 18th Street in Ruskin when he crossed the railroad tracks going more than 70 mph and lost control, said Hillsborough County sheriff's Lt. Rod Reder. The Corvette rolled three times before coming to a rest with Knight, wearing his seat belt, inside.
Knight, an Eagle Scout who first flew solo at age 16 and earned his pilot's license at 17, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Friday afternoon his family and friends struggled to come to terms with his sudden death.
Ronald Knight smiled as he gazed at Boy Scout medals and model airplanes in Matthew's room while his mother made plans to donate her son's organs.
"He was a really, really great kid," said Knight, fighting back the tears. "It's such a crime and not just for us."
Officials at the Air Force Academy began planning a memorial for Matthew, a sophomore described as quiet and well-liked.
"We're shocked and saddened," said Pam Ancker, an academy spokeswoman.
Matthew Knight, born in Portland, Ore., was adopted by his father, an entrepreneur, and his mother, Sandra, a Durant High School teacher. They named him Matthew because it means chosen one.
Knight, who also has his private pilot's license, first took his son flying when he was about 2 years old. As a teenager, Matthew would develop flight plans for short trips and sometimes took over the controls from his father once they were airborne.
Matthew's childhood was a mix of space and summer camps, trips to the Kennedy Space Center and air shows at MacDill Air Force Base. At 16, he began taking formal flying lessons, paying for them by working as a restaurant cook.
In 2000, he graduated from King High School, where he had been enrolled in the International Baccalaureate program and was a member of the cross country team.
When it came time to go to college, Knight sent in only one application: to the highly selective Air Force Academy.
"All I've ever known him to want to do is fly," his father said.
Shortly after the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, Matthew Knight e-mailed his parents to tell them he was fine. "Now it (is) the time to pray," he wrote.
"How many people do you know that age who would write something like that?" his father asked. "He's someone who could have made a difference, would have made a difference. It doesn't make sense."
- Melanie Ave can be reached at 226-3400 or melanie@sptimes.com.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to a Matthew Knight memorial fund at Big Bend United Methodist Church, 11525 Big Bend Road, Riverview, FL, 33569. A memorial service has been set for 2 p.m. Monday at Big Bend United Methodist Church.