Hubbard man dies in copter accident

Staff Report

HUBBARD — Stanley Hepfner was not afraid of his job. In fact, he embraced it.

A quote paraphrased from Abraham Lincoln on his Myspace page summed up a feeling of loyalty and pride in his work: “My job might not add years to my life, but it adds life to my years.”

Hepfner, 28 and a Hubbard native, was a pilot in the 25th Combat Aviation Brigade stationed at Wheeler Army Airfield in Honolulu. An Army spokesman said late Friday that Hepfner was killed Wednesday afternoon in a helicopter crash when a two-seat OH-58D Kiowa Warrior went down at the base.

Honolulu Fire Department Capt. Earle Kealoha said firefighters responded to a call of a downed aircraft at 3:34 p.m. But when they arrived four minutes later, federal fire crews already had the fire under control.

Col. Matthew Margotta, commander of U.S. Army Garrison Hawaii, said the Army was technically calling the accident a “hard landing” because the pilots were in control of the aircraft when it went down.

“Our thoughts and our prayers go out to the family members,” Margotta told reporters.

News reports said the pilots were “conducting a general maintenance test flight” at the time of the crash. The Army is investigating.

Hepfner’s Brigade, part of the Army’s 25th Infantry Division, is preparing for a 12-month deployment to Iraq, scheduled to begin in October.

Its Kiowa Warrior helicopters are used primarily for observation and scouting missions. They can be armed with missiles and machine guns, and are typically flown close to the ground at speeds topping 100 mph.

Hepfner was known affectionately by his family and friends as “Blane.” He was a 1998 graduate of Hubbard High School and was described as “truly patriotic” by his aunt, Mary Jo Orr of Hubbard.

“He was just a great kid, and everybody loved him,” Orr said.

Orr said her nephew had been interested in the military for a long time and joined the Army “about a month after graduation.” She added that he took great pride in his job and loved the Army life.

“It absolutely speaks volumes about his life,” she said.

Hepfner’s last status on his Myspace.com Web site read: “Blane is off to swim in the lagoon before my beach run. Then [taking] the Harley to Waikiki.”

He also enjoyed spending his time with motorcycles, even offering advice to internet friends on V-Nation.com.

On that Web site, one of his fellow motorcycle enthusiasts noted his passing Thursday, writing “Blane was not only a forum member but he was a soldier, an aviator, a combat veteran, a hero and my dearest friend.

“I will miss him more than words can describe. Goodbye my friend.”