It’s a sad day for those who knew “Mary Kay,” the Wichita-based Cessna 172 that’s been used to train many area pilots.
The plane was involved in an accident this morning at Jabara Airport and appears totaled.
No one was injured.
The plane, built in 1976, is one of the airplanes used in Sabris Corp.’s rental fleet. Sabris sells and manages aircraft and offers pilot training.
Seasoned flight instructor Cindy Newport and student Robert Crook were landing at Jabara Airport when the right brake locked up, said Sabris owner David Dewhirst.
The plane veered off the runway and hit a small drainage ditch before coming to a stop.
The 172 suffered a collapsed nose gear and bent propeller. In addition, there’s a big wrinkle in the fuselage after the cabin, Dewhirst said.
The plane has long been dubbed “Mary Kay” because of its purplish-pink and white paint scheme.
I flew Mary Kay a couple of years ago as a student pilot. It’s a solid airplane and handles easily.
Although my training was in my father’s 1956 Piper Tri-Pacer, I flew Mary Kay to get training on some equipment the vintage Tri-Pacer lacks.
Many local pilots know that airplane.
You’ll be missed, Mary Kay.
