CRASH CLAIMS PILOT WHO DREAMED OF SOARING

Mark Ulmer died at what he loved doing - flying an airplane.

The aviator, 38, was part of a three-man crew killed Thursday night when their cargo jet crashed on takeoff at Kansas City International Airport."The news just shocked everyone," said Morgan resident Debbie Kinsey, Ulmer's sister-in-law, noting that Ulmer left behind a young family that suffered a similar tragedy last spring when 20-month-old "J.J." died of complications from congenital heart failure and Down syndrome.

Ulmer had managed in his professional life what many fail. Five years ago he changed occupations, from electrical engineer to pilot. Only recently had he achieved the success he sought.

"I was a little concerned at the time, seeing him switch that late in life," said his older brother, Midway resident Doug Ulmer. "But lo and behold if he didn't get where he was going. . . . He got to where he had wanted to be."

About the time the demand for engineers in Utah "kind of went kerplunk," Ulmer "decided instead of sticking with that he'd pursue his love of flying," Kinsey said.

After working his way up through the industry, Ulmer in September 1994 landed a job with Air Transport International, a Little Rock-based company that ferries cargo nationwide and over-seas. He was first officer on the DC-8 flight that crashed Thursday as it was taking off from Kansas City for maintenance work at a hangar in Massachusetts.

Ulmer's wife of 15 years, Diane, said she remembers the day she and her husband came across a flight-lesson booth at a local fair.

"It was just after we got married . . . and he said: `I'd love to do that! I'll even sell my car! Please?' "

The crash occurred as the aircraft was attempting takeoff for the second time. The first try was aborted; the second effort ended when the empty cargo plane plunged nose first into the ground and exploded into a ball of flames.

The plane was leaving for Massachusetts for maintenance and had been approved to fly with only three engines when it went down about 8:30 p.m. Thursday, said Joe McBride, spokesman for the Kansas City Aviation Department.

But Sandra Campbell, a spokeswoman for the Federal Aviation Administration, said it wasn't known if Air Transport had standing approval to fly on three engines. Under an agreement called a three-engine ferry, the FAA authorizes carriers to fly an aircraft on three engines for maintenance work, she said.

Killed with Ulmer were pilot Walter Miga Sr., 48, Westland, Mich., and flight engineer Kerry Hardy, 48, Fairfield, Calif., said David Clark, president and owner of Air Transport.

It was the third crash involving Air Transport since 1991. In February 1992, a DC-8 cargo plane crashed while landing in Toledo, Ohio, killing all four people aboard. In March 1991, another DC-8 cargo plane burst into flames during an aborted takeoff at Kennedy International Airport in New York.

Ulmer acquired a private pilot's license sometime in the 1980s and toyed with it largely as a hobby until about 1990. His taste for flight was acquired instantly by his three surviving sons - 13-year-old Jonathan, 10-year-old Joseph and 7-year-old Jared - who spent a good part of their leisure time launching miniature rockets with their father and had recently learned to fly a remote-control toy airplane.

"He was close to those boys," said Doug Ulmer. "Mark always did a lot of things with them.. . . . He like teasing them, playing with them; he liked being a good dad. They're going to miss him."

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