Texas sprinter Paul Johnson, who died with his wife and two others in the crash of his small plane Monday, will be remembered in his hometown of Lubbock on Saturday, according to this news about his memorial service. I also came across a story in the Kansas City Star saying his piloting helped avoid greater tragedy. For those who knew Paul, that would be no surprise.

In a Yahoo Groups posting, Texas hurdler Courtland Gray wrote:
Certainly we Texans knew and loved Paul Johnson. I believe he ran in the first real masters meet in which I competed in 1994. We were running a 400 (I was curious to know if I could break 60 sec) and he was in my heat. I was 50, he was late 50’s. Kinda pudgy, I thought to be talking such a big game to his buds. I asked him how fast he was going to go out….. I was clueless….. and he said about 27. I thought, no problem. When we passed the 200, his marker was calling….24…25….and I knew I was in trouble following Paul. I walked in at about 59.9 and he was well in front. That is how I first met Paul.
Two years ago in the hotel lobby in Boston, he gave me a great tip about staying lower in my drive phase in the sprint. I had been popping up more like in my hurdles. I took his advice and improved in the sprint final.
Paul recently hosted an indoor meet in Lubbock that has become the southwest regional meet. It is the first time this region had held a regional indoor championship. Paul was responsible for that, primarily because of his personal support of Texas Tech track and field. His alma mater was Abilene Christian College.
Paul was a great athlete, fierce competitor, and a Christian man. He loved his flying, and I always worried about that. As a military pilot, I learned that too many things can go wrong that are out of one’s own control. Bad fuel in small airports, bad flight planning, slack maintenance, etc. It’s hard enough to fly when all goes well. When things don’t go well, it takes more than experience and luck. Paul’s luck ran out Monday, and we lost a great friend and masters competitor.
I will miss Paul.
Me again:
Another story recounts the last minutes of Paul’s life, as told by a pilot who had radio contact with Paul on Monday. Here’s the story:
By Cliff Sain
BDN Staff Writer
POINT LOOKOUT — A man who had radio contact with the pilot of a plane that crashed in Branson on Monday said the pilot was in “big trouble.”
Jim Carney, a retired airline pilot from Germantown, Tenn., said he and his wife were sitting on the runway at the Taney County Airport in their Cessna 182 Skyline waiting for clearance and talking with the pilot of the doomed aircraft Monday.
That pilot, Paul Johnson, 71, of Lubbock, Texas, was experiencing a weak radio signal, so Carney said he was taking his information and relaying it to Springfield approach control. He said Johnson’s takeoff was uneventful.
“I was calling Springfield to tell them he was airborne,” Carney said. “Then Springfield tried to call him. Then very faintly, I heard him declare an emergency.”
A short time later, Johnson apparently turned around and headed back to the Taney County Airport.
“He said, ‘things are bad, real bad. I’m trying to get back to the airport,’” Carney said.
After Carney relayed that information to Springfield, he said Johnson reported that he could see the city of Branson.
“He said, ‘I’m over the city and I’m trying to get back to the airport.’” he said.
Carney said he asked Johnson the nature of his problem, but that was followed by what would become Johnson’s final transmission.
“I’m in trouble; I’m in big trouble.”
Carney then said he asked if there was anything he could do for him from the ground, but there was no response. He said Springfield was also trying to make contact with him the entire time.
The plane went down in Branson, just southwest of the intersection of 76 Country Boulevard and Missouri 165, striking a 32-unit storage building and bursting into flames. The crash killed Johnson, his wife Marcia Johnson, 71, and another couple, Billy and Betty Roach, both 78, also from Lubbock. There were no injuries on the ground.
According to the Carneys, it was seven minutes from the time of take-off until the crash.
Carney, who said he spent 39 years with a major airline, flying everything from prop planes to 747s, said it sounded like the pilot did everything he could to prevent the tragedy.
“My opinion is, something went wrong, really wrong,” he said. “He was doing the best he could in that very difficult situation.”
Carney said that Johnson probably realized he was not going to make the airport and was looking for a good spot to land.
“There was no good spot,” Carney said. “He did the best he could with what he had going for him.”
He said Johnson’s voice was elevated, like he was working very hard. He said Johnson was likely very busy trying to work out whatever the problem was in his plane.
Carney said he had a chance to talk very briefly with Johnson before their flights. According to Carney, Johnson’s flight briefing was very professional. He also said that when Johnson walked out the door to go to his airplane, he seemed relaxed.
“When he left, he smiled and gave me thumbs up and told me ‘good luck.’”
Carney disputes any assertion that the weather was too bad to fly that day. Although airport manager Mark Parent said the clouds were between 200 to 400 feet that day, Carney said it was more like 900 feet in his opinion. He said the weather was good enough that he and his wife, Janine, could see the smoke from the wreckage, between two-and-a-half and three miles away.
Carney said there was no report of ice that day and that Johnson’s only concern was that of a rather strong headwind he would be facing.
The Carneys, who said they visit Branson often and had arrived Friday to attend a Lynyrd Skynyrd concert, were scheduled to fly out immediately after Johnson. They decided to wait until today, but the weather was no concern to them.
“Jim never sticks his neck out,” Janine said. “I have confidence that it was safe. It was completely clear at 4,800 feet.”
Carney said he could not see any way that the airport was responsible for the accident.
He also complimented the Branson police and fire departments for their professional and sympathetic handling of the situation.
Carney said he talked with Tim Sorensen, the National Transportation Safety Board investigator who arrived on site Tuesday to begin investigating the wreck. He said he was very impressed with Sorensen.
“He’s a very capable investigator and a qualified pilot as well,” he said. “(The NTSB) will do it’s absolute best to investigate this.”