The recently appointed commander of an Army reserve brigade died New Year’s Eve in a single-engine plane crash along with another passenger in Johnson County, Kansas.
Col. Jonathan J. Vannatta, 48, of Maumelle, Arkansas was reported as the pilot of the single engine Mooney M20S that crashed during takeoff near 4 p.m. on Dec. 31.
Darcy Matthews, the only passenger in the plane, was also killed in the crash.
The plane was being flown out of the Johnson County Executive Airport in Olathe, Kansas.
A Facebook post by the 352nd Civil Affairs Command provided summary details of the crash. The command noted that Vannatta had taken over as 354th Civil Affairs Brigade commander on Aug. 4 in a ceremony in White Plains, Maryland.
“Colonel Vannatta will be sorely missed and fondly remembered. Our deepest sympathies are with his family at this time,” said Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Farris, commander, 352nd Civil Affairs Command.
Among the 125 comments on the post were condolences of many who served with Vannatta.
“Vannatta was one of our Team Chiefs and served as the Interim (Chief of Staff) at the 350th CACOM before taking Command. He was also in Law Enforcement as a civilian. He will be deeply missed. Rest In Peace Sir. Thank you for your service to our citizen's and to our Nation,” posted Steven Santiago.
“Unbelievable. COL Vannatta was a phenomenal person. Will be sorely missed,” posted Tim Adams.
“One of the finest human beings I've ever met,” Stephen Thompson.
Vannatta also worked as an agent with the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Local law enforcement, including the Kansas Highway Patrol, told media outlets that the crash was still under investigation.
Todd South has written about crime, courts, government and the military for multiple publications since 2004 and was named a 2014 Pulitzer finalist for a co-written project on witness intimidation. Todd is a Marine veteran of the Iraq War.
