By News 8 Reporter Steve Price
(CBS 8) – 87-year-old Richard Hawkins died early Tuesday morning after the plane he was flying with his son crashed while trying to land at an airport in Warner Springs. Hawkins' 51-year old son, Don remains hospitalized Tuesday at Palomar Medical Center in serious condition.
The two were flying a Ryan Aeronautical ST3KR to Borrego Springs, but it was getting dark, so they decided to land in Warner Springs.
Family members say the plane hit a windsock and spun out of control. It ended up flipping several times. Don pulled his dad from the plane and administered CPR, but his injuries were too severe and he died at the hospital.
Richard's wife, Marilee Hawkins, tells News 8 that Richard flew in World War II and had logged over 10 thousand hours flying.
The Hawkins live in Lake Elsinore. They bought the historical plane about 30 years ago and spent nearly 20 years restoring it. They had been flying it for around 10 years at air shows.
