LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WHAS11) – As investigators work to piece together what caused a plane to crash near Shannon Airport in Fredricksburg, Virginia Friday afternoon, WHAS11 is learning more about the six victims killed:
Pilot: William C. Hamerstadt, 64, of Carmel, Ind.
Passengers:
Robert D. Ross, 73, of Louisville, Ky. (owner of the plane)
Lisa K. Borinstein, 52, of Shelbyville, Ind.
Luke J. Borinstein, 19, of Shelbyville, Ind.
Emma R. Borinstein, 15, of Shelbyville, Ind.
Maren Timmermann, 15, of Berlin, Germany
Ross’ daughter, Anita Oxford, said Ross and Hamerstadt were best friends, both veterans who loved to fly. Oxford said they were taking the Borinstein family to see their son and brother graduate from the Virginia Military Institute. She also confirmed Timmermann was a foreign exchange student living with the Borinsteins.
“Being military, my dad and Bill, they were excited that he was graduating. So, they just all kind of went together and made a trip out of it,” Oxford said.
Oxford told WHAS11 the Borinstein’s lost their husband and father last year. With the mother and two siblings killed, two other siblings are left behind. Oxford said her family has already been in touch with the son who was set to graduate.
“We are all reaching out to him and just letting him know that we are his family now and that we’ve been grafted together because of this and that we’re going to be here for him no matter what happens,” Oxford said.
Ross took off from Bowman Field Friday morning before making a stop in Shelbyville to pick up the Borinsteins and heading to Virginia. Oxford said her dad spent a lot of time there and would often ride his scooter all around the airport because he got tired of walking so far. She said he wanted to get his pilot’s license since he was a Marine. He served two tours in Vietnam.
“He was very passionate about his love for his country, his family, and he loved to fly,” Oxford said. “He instilled in us a love for our country and to take time for family.”
Ross had a Purple Heart and was recently named Louisville’s Marine of the Year. He was very proud of his service, but held a few titles a little higher. He loved being a father of three, grandfather of six, and great-grandfather of two.
“They were the light of his life. He loved his time with them, and never could get quite enough of it,” Ross’ friend Rob Lapsley said.
Lapsley knew Ross for 18 years.
“Bob and I have been friends ever since he started taking flight lessons. I was an additional instructor, and our friendship became all-encompassing over the years,” Lapsley said. “We would have lunch together quite often. I got to know his family. Bob was a great guy. He was one of those guys that could light up a room, never met a stranger. Bob was a very giving guy. Like a lot of people say, when they get the bug, they are hooked. Bob loved it in the air. That was his favorite place, whether it was an at air show in Oshkosh or here locally or in his plane, that was his home.”
His family said Ross was also quite the prankster and would do anything to make somebody laugh.
“The thing to me that’s a real gift is if you can make somebody laugh, you know, and just that laughter that really does our hearts good. That laughter is healing,” Oxford said.
While Ross’ life ended in tragedy, his family and friends said they’re comforted by the fact he was living out his passion.
“At least we know that he didn’t have to have any pain and that he was doing what he loved to do when it happened,” Oxford said.
As if this tragedy wasn’t difficult enough, Oxford said Ross’ mother is also very sick and not expected to live past the next couple of days. She said they are relying on their faith and all of those good memories throughout the years to get them through.
“To know that my dad did have a relationship with God, and I do believe that he’s in heaven and that God is going to carry me through all of this and hold me together,” Oxford said.