Maryland State Police Aviation Command

FALLEN HEROES

Since the inception of Maryland State Police Aviation, there has been one airplane and four fatal helicopter crashes. These crashes have claimed the lives of nine State Troopers and one EMT. To honor the sacrifice that each has made, their photographs and stories are included below.

**FINAL FLIGHT - APRIL 9, 1961**

Trooper First Class Arthur W Plummer, Jr. Appointed: October 16, 1946

Trooper First Class Plummer was killed in a plane crash while trying to locate an individual on Assateague Island. After locating the individual and attempting to take off, the plane crashed on the beach.

TFC Plummer was 36 years old.

**FINAL FLIGHT - OCTOBER 28, 1972**

Trooper First Class Thomas A. Noyle Appointed: January 6, 1969	Trooper First Class Phillip L. Russ Appointed: January 2, 1967

Trooper First Class Thomas A. Noyle and Trooper First Class Phillip L. Russ were killed while en route to Dorchester General Hospital in their Bell Jet Ranger helicopter. They were responding to transport a critically injured patient from Dorchester General to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma in Baltimore when their helicopter crashed. The investigation determined that the aircraft encountered heavy fog and the pilot was attempting to land when the crash occurred. The crash occurred in an empty field ¼ mile east of Bennett's Point Road near Queenstown, Maryland.

TFC Noyle was 28 years old. TFC Russ was 25 years old.

**FINAL FLIGHT - SEPTEMBER 18, 1973**

Trooper First Class Donald E. Parkerson, Jr. Appointed: July 5, 1971	Trooper First Class Charles S. Rathell Appointed: January 2, 1968

Trooper First Class Donald E. Parkerson, Jr and Trooper First Class Charles S. Rathell were fatally wounded while on traffic patrol in a Bell Jet Ranger helicopter. The aircraft experienced engine failure and crashed while they were attempting an emergency landing. The crash occurred near Muirkirk Road and US Route 1 in Beltsville, Maryland.

TFC Parkerson was 25 years old. TFC Rathell was 27 years old.

**FINAL FLIGHT - JANUARY 19, 1986**

Corporal Gregory A. May Appointed: January 17, 1977	Trooper First Class Carey S. Poetzman Appointed: February 11, 1980

Corporal May and Trooper First Class Poetzman were killed while returning to their base of operations in Frederick, Maryland. They had just transported a shooting victim from Eldersburg, Maryland to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center. As they were returning to Frederick, they encountered severe fog and poor visibility. Their helicopter crashed into a wooded hillside near the 1200 block of North Hilton Parkway in Leakin Park, West Baltimore.

Corporal May, 31, was a certified Aviation Trauma Technician as well as a Pilot. He was a resident of Hagerstown where he lived with his wife, Pamela, and their son.

Trooper First Class Poetzman, 28, was the first female Aviation Trauma Technician to serve in the Aviation Command. She resided in Manchester with her husband, Robert Simpson, a former Maryland State Police Pilot.

**FINAL FLIGHT - SEPTEMBER 27, 2008**

Pilot Stephen H. Bunker Appointed: November 30, 1972	Trooper First Class/Flight Paramedic Mickey C. Lippy Appointed: October 1, 2004	Emergency Medical Technician Tonya M. Mallard Member: Waldorf V.F.D.

MSP Pilot Stephen H. Bunker, MSP Trooper First Class/Flight Paramedic Mickey C. Lippy and Waldorf Volunteer Fire Department Emergency Medical Technician Tonya M. Mallard were killed in a helicopter crash while performing a medical evacuation of two critically injured teenagers from Charles County, Maryland.

During the flight, the Eurocopter Dauphin helicopter encountered severe weather while en-route to the Prince George's Hospital Center. Pilot Bunker diverted to Andrews Air Force Base to rendezvous with two ambulances to complete the transport of the patients. Shortly before midnight, the helicopter crashed several miles short of the runway.

A ground search was initiated and the wreckage was found in Walker Mill Regional Park. Pilot Bunker, Trooper First Class Lippy, Emergency Medical Technician Mallard and one of the patients were killed in the crash. The second patient survived the crash and was severely injured

Pilot Bunker was 59 years of age and was appointed to the Maryland State Police as Trooper on November 30, 1972. He retired as a Corporal in July 1998 and returned to the MSP Aviation Command as a civilian pilot. Pilot Bunker is survived by his wife and three children.

Trooper First Class Lippy was 34 years of age and was appointed to the Maryland State Police on October 1, 2004. He served the Aviation Command as a Flight Paramedic since April 25, 2007. He is survived by his wife and infant daughter.

Emergency Medical Technician Mallard was 39 years of age and joined the Waldorf Volunteer Fire Department in 2004. She leaves behind her husband, two sons and the surviving members of Station 12 in Charles County, Maryland.