Terry Koehn
Funerals are scheduled Wednesday morning for the two men who died in a plane crash last week in Johnson County.
The single engine plane burst into flames when it crashed into a farm field near Oxford Friday afternoon, killing 70-year-old Terry Koehn of Iowa City and 56-year-old James Spicer of Cedar Rapids. Mike Brotherton is a close friend of Koehn’s — they both served as police officers for more than 30 years. Brotherton spoke with KCRG-TV about his reaction after first hearing about the plane crash.
“I was afraid to call anybody. I didn’t really want to know. I was kind of hoping it wouldn’t turn out the way it did, but unfortunately I got the phone call and reality set in,” Brotherton said. Koehn and Brotherton often worked as pilots and spotters during police investigations. Brotherton is remembering his friend as a great family man, pilot, and police officer.
“He led his life morally above reproach. He knew the legal system inside and out,” Brotherton said. Koehn was also an outstanding flight instructor, according to Brotherton, who plans to keep flying in Koehn’s honor.
“We all know the risks that are involved in flying and we still choose to do it because it’s in our blood and we love to do it,” Brotherton told KCRG. “It’s just a feeling of freedom, being like a bird in the sky, and you can leave all your troubles behind. It’s just a wonderful feeling to be in the air.”
Authorities haven’t said who was flying the plane or why it crashed. The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating.