Internet entrepreneur, son killed in plane crash

The Rocky

Published February 2, 2008 at 9:20 p.m.
Updated February 3, 2008 at 9:36 p.m.

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AUGUSTA, Maine - Authorities returned Saturday to the icy woods where a small plane crashed just a few miles from the state airport after it took off during a storm Friday evening to recover the remains of two victims believed to be a well-known telecommunications pioneer and her 10-year-old son.

Maine Public Safety Department spokesman Stephen McCausland said pending positive determination, the victims were believed to be Jeanette Symons of San Francisco, to whom the plane was registered, and one of her children.

A co-founder with Symons of Industrious Kid, a company formed in 2005 to create online products for children with age-appropriate content, said Symons, 45, and her son Balan were returning to her home in Steamboat Springs, Colo., when the crash occurred in West Gardiner.

"She's been flying for over 20 years. She's a top notch pilot," said Tim Donovan, the vice president of marketing at Industrious Kid, which is based in Oakland, Calif., and where Symons was chief executive officer.

"She was very, very well known in the telecommunications industry," Donovan said, calling Symons a visionary.

Donovan said Symons' son had been attending a weeklong ski camp.

Symons leaves a 7-year-old daughter and is survived by her parents and two brothers, Donovan said.

According to Industrious Kid, Symons previously co-founded Zhone Technologies and Ascend Communications, Inc., which was subsequently purchased by Lucent Technologies.

A spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration said the pilot of the six-seat Cessna Citation C-525 declared an emergency minutes after taking off but was unable to fly to safety.

Freezing rain was falling in Augusta at the time of the crash, according to the National Weather Service.

Local, state and federal officials were at the scene Saturday morning, McCausland said, adding that positive identification of the victims would be up to the state medical examiner's office.

McCausland said two FAA investigators had joined deputy sheriffs, state wardens and state troopers in West Gardiner where the plane went down and that the National Transportation Safety Board was also sending someone.

McCausland said airport officials had said there had been no deicing of the plane before takeoff.

• February 3, 2008

  7:44 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  bunzzzomatic writes:

  "Freezing rain was falling"

  "no deicing of the plane"

  "She's a top notch pilot"

• February 3, 2008

  8:43 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  Winthrop writes:

  This is Maine not Colorado; if the temperature is 28 degrees here we get a lot of freezing rain, while in Co. you get snow.
  You don't even drive a car in that kind of weather!
  Its called lack of intelligence.

• February 3, 2008

  8:55 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  Theoldguy writes:

  She had an attack of gotta-get-there-itis and relied on her past experience of taking chances and out-thunk herself. Winthrop nailed it perfectly. So much for that "corporate giant". Next ego to the batters box! Well, the relatives will have fun "sharing" the estate.

• February 3, 2008

  9:18 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  Cabermon writes:

  So sad; probably icing.
  In flying, it is said that "You can't make the same mistake once."

• February 3, 2008

  9:24 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  hikingartist writes:

  Winthrop and oldguy; Unlike Symons, you have have done nothing of worth. Your snide comments will be gone in a few days and you will eventually vanish from the face of the earth without a trace.

• February 3, 2008

  10:03 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  Big_D writes:

  There are old pilots and there are bold pilots...

• February 3, 2008

  10:45 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  Daynage writes:

  I have worked in aviation all my life.[56 years.] What this looks like to me is a case of what we call "Gethomeitis". A usually fatal disorder that will make a pilot wait to get fuel on the next leg, or as what probably happened here, didnt want to wait for the de-ice truck. And on Feb 3rd?[Buddy Holly] Another smokin hole in the ground made by a pilot who just wanted to get home.

• February 3, 2008

  11:22 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  Daynage writes:

  And as for Mr "hikingartist" yours is the only "snide" post here.
  I have known thousands of pilots in my career in aviation. This topic has been talked about since world war one or even before.
  What is the most tragic thing about this is the fact that a ten year old boy paid the price for his mothers possible negligence.

• February 3, 2008

  3:33 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  forwhatitis writes:

  Wow, what a tragic loss of a great mind.

• February 3, 2008

  10:01 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  Theoldguy writes:

  hikingartist

  Thank you for your kind remarks. In time, I will be one with the soil. Until that time I will be successfully baiting "Holier than thou" SOB's like you. I flew for over 15 years along with learning aerobatics, building and test flying a homebuilt airplane (a Long-Ez)and you may have seen me flying over Denver in the 80's. I worked my butt off learning as much as possible before I lost my medical due to an irregular heartbeat. I never took a chance with the weather. One of the more famous airport sayings is: When you have time to spare--go by air. I have past flying friends that are dead. I have hero's that are dead before their time-- Wiley Post and Will Rogers. Another aviation great signed my log book and a while later died.
  Another great saying that has kept me alive is--There are old pilots and there are bold pilots; there are no old, bold, pilots. I stand by what I previously wrote and will think of you and your HTT attitude while I clean the horse barn in the morning.
  Remember this---That woman may have climbed higher on the ladder of success, but her arrogance followed her into that cockpit. She had NO regard for her sole passenger which is the ultimate responsibility for any pilot.
  Feeling sorry for her arrogance and the loss of her son.....not in me. I'll call 'em like I see 'em.

• February 7, 2008

  8:46 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  Daynage writes:

  Even though I doubt that anyone will read this, I have to add that the up to date information is [as of 2/7]that she did indeed choose to decline a de-ice truck that was offered to her.
  Go to www.myfoxmaine.com and read it.

• February 12, 2008

  8:32 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  TOMAIR writes:

  BASED ON THE NTSB ACCIDENT REPORT AND
  MY 18 YRS OF FLYING EXPERIENCE, MS. SYMONS
  HAD NO BUSINESS FLYING A JET AIRCRAFT.

  THIS RINGS OF JFK'S ACCIDENT.

  TOO MUCH EGO, NOT ENOUGH BRAINS.

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