The man who died in a northern Minnesota plane crash earlier this week was a veterinarian moving to the state to start a new job.
Andrew Piller, who owns the Bemidji Veterinary Hospital, identified the pilot as Thomas Borum. Piller said Borum was moving from Mississippi to Minnesota and had accepted a position at the clinic's satellite Lake of the Woods Veterinary Clinic in Roseau.
"We lost a good person," Piller said. "He was very personable and friendly. He seemed to be most passionate about helping others. He was excited to work for our company."
Borum, 62, was piloting a single-engine Piper 28 Cherokee that went down in Leech Lake near Walker, Minn., on Tuesday night. A search began around 9:15 p.m. when he failed to close a flight plan from Kirksville, Mo., to Bemidji. The wreckage was found about 10 a.m. Wednesday, said FAA spokeswoman Elizabeth Cory.
Borum ran Borum Veterinary Clinic in Natchez, Miss., for 35 years, according to his LinkedIn profile. He was a highly accomplished veterinarian and police officer, Piller said. Borum was an Eagle Scout and enjoyed teaching young people about ATV safety and firearms safety. He also had plans to continue his mission to train police-dog handlers and police dogs in Minnesota, Piller said.
It was not immediately clear if weather was a factor in the crash and there was no word if Borum had made any distress calls, said Peter Knudson, a spokesman for the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
Borum, who was the only person on board the aircraft, had left Missouri and was diverted to the St. Cloud airport. He was on the ground there for about an hour before he took off for Bemidji, Knudson said. He was not heard from again.
Knudson said the wreckage will be taken to a secure location. A preliminary report is expected to be released in about two weeks, but the full investigation into the cause could take a year or two.
Tim Harlow • 612-673-7768
