‘Why Did They Take Off?’ Asks Lancaster Pilot, 13

At 8 years old, Katrina Mumaw was flying upside down in military fighter planes--something other kids her age experience only in video arcades.

As daring as she is, the Lancaster girl said there is one thing she always keeps in mind: “I’d rather be safe than sorry.”

So when she heard about Thursday’s crash of a plane carrying 7-year-old Jessica Dubroff, Katrina had one question. “Why did they take off? I’m still trying to figure out why they took off with the bad weather.”

Attempting to become the youngest person to fly across the United States, Jessica was killed when her plane crashed shortly after taking off in a storm. Her father and her flight instructor also died.

Though she was careful not to make assumptions about what led to the crash, Katrina said she always avoids flying in bad weather.

“With my dogfights, if it’s raining at all and if it’s overcast, I just call it off for the day,” said Katrina, now 13, who engages in mock combat sessions offered by Fullerton-based Air Combat USA. “I’d rather err on the safe side.”

The crash has already provoked questions about licensing rules for young pilots. According to Federal Aviation Administration regulations, an individual must be 16 to get a student pilot’s certificate and 17 to receive a pilot’s license.

But children can begin training with a flight instructor at any age.

Katrina, who has flown everything from hot-air balloons to jets, said kids should not be stopped from pursuing their dreams. She hopes that others who aspire to become pilots will not be discouraged by Thursday’s tragedy.

“I look at it this way,” she said. “Bad things can happen in anything.” She said flying is just like driving--the more people there are on the roads, the more accidents there will be.

It is unfortunate that some young pilots fly to set records rather than simply for the love of flying, Katrina said.

“There’s not really any hurry,” she said. At 11, Katrina became the first child to pilot an aircraft through the sound barrier. “I would have done it if I was the first, the 21st or even the 121st,” she said.

Katrina’s father, Jim Mumaw, said his daughter possesses a level of maturity that makes him feel confident about allowing her to fly. “She tempers everything with a respect of what can happen,” he said.

He said people should not be so quick to blame the accident on the pilot’s age.

“You can have a person who’s 50 and be a greater danger in an airplane than a child who’s learning through an instructor at the age of 8,” he said. “Sometimes age isn’t a great barometer.”

But, he said, parents must carefully assess the ability and maturity of children who want to fly. And they should ask lots of questions and make sure the instructors take safety precautions.

“Whoever she flies with, we make sure that they’re well-qualified. We make sure that the No. 1 thing they look at is safety,” Mumaw said. “If you have that and common sense, you can’t go too far wrong unless something happens that’s beyond anyone’s control.”