WTAMU professor Dr. Robin Capt died in a plane crash on Nov. 11 along with her husband William Michael Capt, 48, and son William Michael Capt II, 19.
Flight records show that Capt and her family departed from Tradewind airport in Amarillo and flew to Lubbock. After departing from Lubbock, they flew toward the Dallas area and shortly after returned back to Lubbock. On their final leg back, Capt and her family, in their single engine Beechcraft Bonanza, departed back to Amarillo. Once returning to Amarillo on Nov. 10, Capt and family attempted to land at Tradewind airport.
Their first landing attempt was aborted, due to what is believed as heavy fog and bad weather conditions, so the plane headed for Rick Husband International Airport. Once arriving at Rick Husband the plane was in contact with traffic control in Albuquerque, New Mexico. They approached the runway for a landing and aborted a second time. After aborting the landing at Rick Husband, Pat Rhodes, aviation director at Rick Husband Airport, said that they went missing from the radar.
“Our involvement was to look on the airport grounds to try and locate the plane. When we didn’t find it we notified Albuquerque,” Rhodes said.
Rhodes also said it was very early Monday morning, a heavy fog had set in and it wasn’t until around 7 a.m. until the plane was located. Parts of the plane were found scattered in a field and playa lake northwest of Amarillo.
A memorial service was held for Dr. Robin Capt, William Michael Capt, and William Michael Capt II on Sunday Nov. 17. The service was held in Legacy Hall on West Texas A&M’s campus and was open to all faculty, staff, and students. Around 200 people attended to show their respects to Capt’s two remaining daughters and the rest of their family.
Dr. Eddie Henderson was one of the speakers at the memorial, where he mentioned that Dr. Capt was a great professor. He said she was kind, smart, and important to all of the students and faculty at WT, and she will be deeply missed.
“Robin will be remembered and respected for the things she has brought to WT,” Henderson said.
The two daughters, Emily and Elizabeth Capt, thanked everyone who attended the memorial and said although it’s a tough day, they knew their family was looking down on them.
