Planes & Automobiles (not yet trains)

For Gashwin, who follows aeronautical stories.

From Yahoo: Lt. governor of S.C. hurt in plane crash

COLUMBIA, S.C. - Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer was injured Tuesday afternoon when the small plane he was piloting crashed shortly after takeoff and caught fire. Bauer, 37, was in good condition with injuries to his arm and leg, spokesman Dave Lucas said. Bauer and a passenger were conscious when rescuers found them, said Senate Clerk Jeff Gossett. The passenger, John M. Leonhardt Sr., 73, was slightly injured, said Leonhardt's wife, Azalia.

The crash happened around 6:15 p.m., shortly after Bauer's plane took off from a dirt airstrip and clipped some trees, WAGI radio reported. The airstrip is near Blacksburg, near the North Carolina border. Aerial news footage showed the twisted wreckage of the plane on fire not far from the runway.

Bauer was the pilot, Azalia Leonhardt said. Her husband, also a pilot, frequently flew with the lieutenant governor and the Mooney M20E fixed-wing single-engine plane had a new engine. "The plane had problems taking off," she said.

Why interest in this story (besides his office?)

Bauer drew attention earlier this year when the Associated Press found he had been stopped at least twice for speeding -- once in December of 2005 and once in February -- but was let off without a ticket.

Speeding? Kinda understated for >100 mph, doncha think?