Phoenix resident Thomas H. Hunnicutt was riding in a car June 11, 2019, when he watched a single-engine airplane crash-land and overturn. Its fuselage and cockpit burst into flames. Hunnicutt, a 34-year-old project manager, ran to the plane, crawled beneath a wing, and extended his arms through a broken cockpit window toward pilot Mark Brandemuehl, 59, who was inside. Despite nearby flames and intense heat, Hunnicutt grasped Brandemuehl and pulled him through the opening. He dragged him several feet away from the plane’s fuselage where others joined him and helped him carry Brandemuehl to safety. Brandemuehl was hospitalized for treatment of severe burns and died several months later.
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