The plane hit the water like hitting a cement wall
Daily Inter Lake Paper Article
State case - Montana articles after 2006
May 18, 2007 {ID: 2225} {Class: State (Criminal) | Sub-Class: Media}

This article, from the Daily Inter Lake news paper, is dated May 18, 2007. The title of the article was the comment I made in court while trying to put the landing of a fixed-gear aircraft on water into perspective.

Over the last 24 years, there have been a lot of details omitted by Sheriff Dupont and now the prosecutor alike - some negligently and others intentionally - to vilify our elopement. But the reality is that if the complete case details, facts and evidence were to somehow reach the public, they would have much to explain about their conduct and the Flathead County justice.

NOTE: For more information see 'More Related Details/Facts' below...

MORE RELATED DETAILS / FACTS

'The babcocks don't believe their daughter was a willing participant' comment: The Babcock family can be in denial and believe whatever they want, but that should not preclude the county prosecutor from pursuing the right course of action based on facts and evidence, not vengeance.

'The teens thought they could pull off their plan to vanish into the U.S.' comment: We were never planning to vanish into the United States. There was a much grander location we were shooting for.

'He knew that landing the plane created a 'substantial risk' to Babcock' comment: Yes we did. And the key word there is 'we'. It's one thing if Dianne was not aware of the danger, but that was not the case. This was pre-planned and we both accepted the risks.

'His flight instructor had told a group of pilots' comment: David Firth lectured us on the emergency landing procedures including setting the aircraft on water. According to his extensive experience, this was a doable maneuver.

'admitting he had never attempted the maneuver before that night' comment: No I didn't. But I would guess that no one else has ever practiced that either: to land a fixed-wheel aircraft on water. That's why they call it an Emergency Landing.

'Ambrozuk freed himself' comment: Ambrozuk never freed himself and no one grabbed a few things and escaped to the surface. There is much more to this than the reporter simply regurgitating what Sheriff Dupont has been making up for the past 24 years.