Transcript Staff Writer

Planes flying overheard are everyday occurrences for Shandana Majors. But one flying overhead Saturday morning didn't seem right.

"You always see them, but this one was flying a lot lower," said Majors, sales director with Norman Chrysler Jeep Dodge on the east side Interstate-35 service road, north of Main Street.

This plane, an RV-7 general aviation aircraft or personal plane, flown by Robert C. Noble Jr., 50, crashed at about 8:41 a.m. Saturday 100 yards west of I-35, said Roland Herwig, Federal Aviation Administration spokesperson.

The plane, registered to Bob Noble of Choctaw, left Midwest City's Twin Lakes Airport earlier Saturday and was headed to Norman's Max Westheimer Airport. Two other similar planes landed safely shortly before the plane crashed.

"We're gathering information and not going to speculate at this time about the cause of the crash," Herwig said.

Norman deputy fire chief Jim Bailey said Noble and a passenger, also age 50, were transported by EMS to Norman Regional Hospital for "traumatic cardiac arrest" and both died later Saturday.

Lisa Beckloff, spokeswoman for the hospital, confirmed that Noble died at 9:48 a.m., but said she could not release the name of the passenger.

The debris from the crash was marked off with police tape and will continue to be until the FAA investigation is through, Bailey said. Herwig said the investigation could take anywhere from two months to a year.

Majors said the plane flown by Noble looked like it was preparing to land, but had to swerve away to avoid collision with another plane from Westheimer.

"It was coming in like it was landing at the airport, but another plane was taking off," Majors said. "When he tilted to the side, you could hear the engine cut off."

Derek Sills, sales manager with Norman Chrysler Jeep Dodge, said he thinks another plane caused Noble's plane to swerve, but that the second plane was also trying to land at Westheimer.

"I was pulling a Jeep around for a customer, when I saw those planes that were flying so low," Sills said. "When the planes almost hit each other, one of them swerved away and looked like it lost control."

Majors said some of the staff were worried that as the plane dove westward after swerving, that it was going to hit the dealership, located east of I-35 directly across from the site of the crash.

"The guy was pointed dead at the dealership," Majors said. "Everyone took off for the other side of the dealership. They got scared, because they thought it was going to hit."

However, Bailey said the area where the pilot guided the plane was about 100 yards away from the nearest house, and that Noble appeared to have done a "heroic job" landing in an fairly open field away from where it could cause more harm, such as area businesses or I-35.

"Under the circumstances, they couldn't have put it in a better place," Bailey said.

Majors said as soon as they saw the plane crash, he and Sills drove across the highway to help, and that others in the area had done the same. Once they arrived, Majors and Sills both said they did not see either Noble or the passenger moving.

"They were both slumped over, but the passenger was bleeding really bad," Sills said.

While it initially seemed like an everyday plane trying to land, Majors said it was not an everyday pilot who steered the plane to the open area.

"He knew what he was doing," Majors said. "I think it was pretty brave and pretty smart of him. He decided to take it down there -- it definitely makes you feel bad for them."

With an ongoing investigation, Herwig said Oklahoma City FAA flight standards district office would appreciate any testimony from witnesses to the crash. Herwig said they can call 951-4200 with any information regarding Saturday's event.

"He landed in that field for a reason-- he didn't want to hit anybody," Sills said. "He could've landed on top of our building, or crashing into the building, but he landed in that field."

Althea Peterson 366-3539 apeterson@normantranscript.com