wfn.org | Lutheran Pilot Killed in Crash

[ELCANEWS@ELCASCO.ELCA.ORG]

ELCA NEWS SERVICE

NEWSBRIEF

September 13, 1996

"LAMP" PILOT KILLED IN CRASH

Thomas Liederbach, a volunteer pilot for the Lutheran Association
of Missionaries and Pilots, was killed Aug. 5 in remote
northwestern Alaskan.  It was the association's first crash
resulting in the loss of life.  Liederbach, a pilot with 40 years
of flying service, was killed when his airplane went down about
30 miles north of Nome.  The crash was detected when the Alaska
National Guard picked up an emergency signal from the mountains
north of Nome.  "For the past three or four years he flew our
Bible camp kids to Salmon Lake north of Nome.  Tom was doing the
same thing this year, and apparently was on his way back from the
camp to Shishmaref," said the Rev. Ronald W. McCallum, Dillingham
Trinity Lutheran Church, Dillingham, Alaska.  "Tom was a careful
flier, having worked for many years for the Federal Aviation
Administration," he said.  "What a great example of lay ministry
he was.  Tom could combine his skills of flying with his love for
the church, his enthusiasm for aviation with his enthusiasm for
the kids, and come up with the perfect way to serve the church
and utilize his career skills to the glory of God," said
McCallum.

For information contact: Ann Hafften, Dir., ELCA News Service,
(312) 380-2958 or AHAFFTEN@ELCA.ORG; Frank Imhoff, Assoc. Dir.,
(312) 380-2955 or FRANKI@ELCA.ORG