Giving Thanks: After Crash, UW Doc Happy To Be Alive

ANAHEIM, Calif. - When the University of Washington football team assembles for Christmas Eve dinner tonight, chances are no one will be enjoying the festivities more than Dr. Steve Bramwell.

The Huskies' team physician will be enjoying it simply because he is alive to appreciate again one of Washington's bowl-game traditions.

Bramwell, 46, suffered serious injuries Nov. 29 when the two-engine, six-passenger plane he was piloting crashed near Enumclaw after it ran out of fuel. Also injured were his wife, Linda, and 8-year-old son Jeremy. Two other passengers were unharmed.

Bramwell was a patient at Harborview Medical Center for two weeks, spending much of the time in intensive care, recovering from facial, dental and chest injuries.

Surprisingly, when the Huskies left Seattle last Tuesday, Steve, Linda and Jeremy all were on the flight. Steve has spent the past week doing what he can at Husky practice sessions at Golden West College while his injuries continue to heal.

The crash occurred near the end of a return flight from Provo, Utah, where another Bramwell son, Eric, had been left at a missionary training school. The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the crash. Bramwell still has to be interviewed.

Bramwell said he thinks the use of increased power, needed to counter the effects of ``mountain wave'' wind activity encountered east of Mount Rainier, resulted in the plane running out of fuel.

``I know it cost us fuel. The question is how much?'' Bramwell said.

``All my fuel calculations on board showed we had enough fuel to get to Paine Field (Everett) with a reserve, which is the way it's supposed to be.''

Bramwell had made about 20 round trips from Provo since he began flying six years ago.

``There were a little stronger head winds than usual,'' Bramwell said, ``so I kept a close watch on the fuel and while I was going to have less of a reserve than all the other times, I still had enough to make it.''

Then, the ``mountain wave'' winds hit, causing Bramwell to spend time - and fuel - to get the plane stabilized without getting closer to Paine Field.

``If my calculations were right and my fuel burned the way it usually did, it had to be all that excess flying that cost us fuel,'' Bramwell said.

The tanks went dry while Bramwell was flying in clouds over the mountains.

``As we were gliding down, we came out of the clouds and began to see the terrain,'' Bramwell said.

The goal was the Enumclaw airport. But when that became unrealistic, Bramwell tried to find a road to land on, but couldn't.

``But I never saw one that was acceptable,'' he said.

It was then that he decided to do all he could to save lives and to that end began looking for a clear cut of the type upon which the plane crashed.

Bramwell, still buckled into his seat, was thrown through the windshield of the plane. Everyone else stayed on board.

Investigators have speculated that Bramwell and his seat were pitched out when the engine and wing on his side of the plane hit a stump.

Bramwell said he would like to fly again, but before any decision is made he needs to know more about the accident. And, he wants his family to have input.

``I'd like to do it again for a couple of reasons,'' he said. ``First of all, ego-wise, you always like to back to something that's thrown you off,'' Bramwell said. ``Secondly, it did provide me some recreation, some mobility . . . things that were positive.''

He said he will take two or three months before a making a decision is made.

Meanwhile, he is back doing what he can with the Huskies, a passion he enjoys - maybe more than flying.