Ron Timmermans dies after catastrophic engine failure

Timmermans departed his home base in Orlando, Florida, just after 10:30 a.m., according to FlightAware, and landed at Defuniak Springs Airport in Florida, then at Center Municipal Airport in Texas—both apparently following weather diversions. ADS-B data show the aircraft cruised northwest from Center at 4,300 feet with a steady groundspeed around 150 knots until it began to slow and descend about 12 miles east of Echo Lake, a small private airport in Brownsboro. According to an FAA statement reported by KLTV, Timmermans declared an emergency, and reported oil covering the windshield.

The 2,600-foot runway at Echo Lake runs parallel to West Lake Drive, which winds along the shore of Echo Lake about 100 to 200 feet away. The aircraft came to rest on top of a power line that serves the residential road. Neighborhood resident Mary Ann Shoulders described the sound of the approaching aircraft: "It was just a loud, just mangling ... you could hear the metal mangling and stuff," Shoulders told KTLV.

First responders arrived within minutes, though neither the pilot nor his wife survived; a dog was found alive and was initially cared for by a neighbor pending its return to the family.

Friend, fellow pilot, and aviation safety advocate Obie Young, a producer and director with the Florida Aviation Network, eulogized the couple:

"Ron was an important part of training hundreds of pilots over the years. He's done hundreds of hours of interviews with people in the aviation industry. He's the main host of our interviews online," Young said. "He and Barbara will be greatly missed."

Timmermans was inducted into the National Association of Flight Instructors hall of fame in 2022, and served the aviation community in many roles, including as an FAA Safety Team member and a presenter of AOPA's You Can Fly Rusty Pilots Program. He was also an instructor with Bonanza / Baron Pilot Training Inc., and, during a past clinic, made an impression on AOPA Air Safety Institute Senior Vice President Mike Ginter. Ginter recalled the Timmermanses brought energy and enthusiasm to the events, along with expertise. "Ron's reputation as a Bonanza instructor was sterling," Ginter said.

The NTSB is investigating the accident.

The You Can Fly program and the Air Safety Institute are funded by charitable donations to the AOPA Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization. To be a part of the solution, visit www.aopafoundation.org/donate.