U.S. Airways pilot dies snorkeling on Kaua'i
By Jan TenBruggencate
Advertiser Kaua'i Bureau
LIHU'E, Kaua'i — A U.S. Airways pilot died while snorkeling Thursday night off Ke'e Beach, prompting the airline to cancel the flight he was scheduled to operate as first officer from Lihu'e to Phoenix that night.
The body of Theodore Teichgraeber, 37, was found yesterday morning floating about a quarter mile from shore at Kalalau Beach, which is about six miles downcurrent from Ke'e. He was a first assistant pilot for U.S. Airways. No cause of death had been determined.
Teichgraeber had flown with U.S. Airways since 2000, and was a pilot with Mesa Air Group before that. He lived with his wife Jennifer and 3-year-old son Nicholas in Phoenix.
"Flying was his dream. It was absolutely his passion," said his sister, Tara La Bouff, of Phoenix. She said Teichgraeber, an Arizona State University graduate, had put himself through flight school, and was one of the first pilots to fly U.S. Airways' Phoenix-Lihu'e route.
An avid outdoorsman and marksman, he had recently won a statewide shooting contest, she said.
Teichgraeber and another pilot had been scheduled to fly U.S. Airways Flight 47 from Lihu'e late Thursday. The flight was canceled when Teichgraeber failed to report to the crew hotel or his flight. The flight's 142 passengers were stranded for about 24 hours.
The airline operates a single Boeing 757 flight daily between Lihu'e and Phoenix, the site of its corporate headquarters. Passengers on the Thursday night flight were provided with hotel accommodations at the airline's expense, said airline spokesman Phil Gee.
The airline said yesterday it had flown in another crew yesterday to take the passengers and aircraft to Phoenix as flight US9037, which was scheduled to leave about 11 p.m. last night, about the same time as the normal Lihu'e-Phoenix flight.
"There would basically be two flights leaving at about the same time," Gee said.
Police said Teichgraeber and the flight's chief pilot had gone to the popular beach at the end of Kuhio Highway during their crew rest period. Teichgraeber was last seen about 4:30 p.m. at Ke'e Beach, where he was snorkeling. He was reported missing at 5:45 p.m. The U.S. Coast Guard launched an immediate helicopter search, but no sign of the missing man was found Thursday night.
The Coast Guard search resumed yesterday morning, along with Kaua'i firefighters operating from a chartered helicopter, an inflatable boat and a jet ski. A tour boat spotted the body in late morning, off Kalalau Beach. A Coast Guard helicopter took the body to Lihu'e Airport, and it was transfered to Wilcox Hospital, where Teichgraeber was pronounced dead.
The Arizona Republic contributed to this report.Reach Jan TenBruggencate at jant@honoluluadvertiser.com.
Correction: The U.S. Airways pilot who drowned last week off Kaua'i was Theodore "Ted" Teichgraeber. His last name was misspelled in a previous version of this story.
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