A former Georgia Tech quarterback who is now a prominent metro Atlanta real estate developer escaped injury when his corporate jet hydroplaned and crashed after landing on a rainy Tuesday morning.
The incident happened at the Macon Downtown Airport around 10 a.m.
John Dewberry, president and CEO of Dewberry Capital, was the only passenger aboard his nine-seat Hawker Beechjet 400 when it slid on the runway, crossed an embankment and a road, and crashed in a wooded area, The Telegraph reported.
Pilot Brian Landers, who had to be cut from the plane, and co-pilot Joel Perkins suffered only minor injuries, authorities said.
“I am grateful for the pilot and co-pilot, who in severe weather, reacted swiftly and calmly in an effort to reduce speed, navigating the plane to the best of their ability,” Dewberry said in an emailed statement from his company. “We can all count our blessings this evening.”
Dewberry, who is on the board of the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame, was traveling to Macon from his Charleston, S.C., home to help determine the final selections for the hall’s 2013 class, his company said.
He was a starting quarterback for the Yellow Jackets from 1983 to 1985 after transferring from the University of Georgia.
