The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1177236
126 ■ THE WOLFPACKER ■ PACK PAST The author checked over the mainte- nance records of the Cessna 441 Con- quest II, which had been serviced earlier in the day, and chronicles the final day of pilot Lewis S. Benscotter, who woke up at 5 a.m. to make several flights between Houston and Shreveport before picking up Rein near the end of his 14-hour day. "They believe fatigue definitely played a role in how the pilot reacted to whatever happened to the plane," Williams said. "Like any plane crash, it was one of many things in a chain of events that led to the accident." Williams detailed definitive versions of the flight from Greg Williams and for- mer Wolfpack quarterback Darrell Moody, who was also on Rein's LSU staff. And he poured over the transcripts between the pilot and the air traffic control tower. "You can almost pinpoint exactly the mo- ment something went wrong," he said. "There was a point when the pilot just stopped re- sponding and the plane just started to climb." Williams chronicles the complete Na- tional Transportation Safety Board and FAA reports from the crash, the only rem- nants of which were a tire, a couple of flotation devices and some wreckage off the coast of Virginia. "There were a lot of things that played into it, but ultimately it's still a mystery," he concluded. Williams' book is peppered with NC State personalities, from former head coach Chuck Amato to football secretary Carolyn Stuart to the three assistant coaches Rein took with him to Baton Rouge (Moody, Greg Williams and Buddy Green). He shares memories, particularly of the controversial loss to Penn State on a last-second, goal-post altered field goal at Carter-Finley Stadium, and of players that made up the roster of the Wolfpack's most recent ACC title, like Simon Gupton and Woodrow Wilson. The book succeeds in detailing Rein's career as a favored son of Ohio, a young but legendary coach in North Carolina and his preparation to become successful in Louisiana. The two important questions Williams seeks — what exactly happened that fate- ful night in the skies over Louisiana and what could have Rein accomplished if he had been able to have another 40 years as a coach — are ultimately unknowable. His journey, however, is one worth tak- ing, if only to remember that the golden age of NC State athletics came to a tragic end on the foggy waves of the Atlantic Ocean in the winter of 1980. ■ Tim Peeler is a regular contributor to The Wolfpacker and can be reached at tmpeeler@ncsu.edu. www.pursuitwealthstrategies.com 8321 Bandford Way #105 Raleigh, NC 27615 (919) 847-7600 Life First, Money Second. Securities offered through Raymond James Financial Services, Inc., Member FINRA/SIPC Sometimes, adding just the right person to a team makes all the difference. Contact Andy Carmen (NCSU '79) at 336.714.4111 or acarmen@belldavispitt.com CONSTRUCTION LAW | REAL ESTATE | CORPORATE | LITIGATION | FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY | EDUCATION | TAX | FAMILY LAW | ESTATE PLANNING/ADMINISTRATION WINSTON SALEM | CHARLOTTE | BELLDAVISPITT.COM BDP.12102.04 AndyCarmenAD_R5.indd 1 9/24/13 12:24 PM