Promoter’s plane crashes

Dean Juipe

Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2002 | 9:04 a.m.

A small chartered plane carrying Top Rank boxing promoter Bob Arum crashed Tuesday attempting to land at an airstrip in Big Bear, Calif., site of the training camp of Arum's top client, Oscar De La Hoya.

No one was seriously injured in the mishap although the plane caught fire and was destroyed.

"I gave Bob a big hug and was reminded how precious life is," said Top Rank publicist Lee Samuels, who was awaiting Arum's plane as it was scheduled to arrive from Las Vegas. "Thank God it wasn't a complete catastrophe."

Samuels, and several members of the local media, had taken a bus to Big Bear to watch De La Hoya work out and promote the fighter's Sept. 14 bout with arch rival Fernando Vargas at Mandalay Bay.

Arum had rented the plane and invited two Mandalay Bay executives, H.C. Rowe and Scott Voeller, as well as two reporters from the Las Vegas Review-Journal and one from the Las Vegas Sun, to accompany him on the flight. The Sun declined the invitation.

R-J reporter Royce Feour reportedly blacked out during the crash and was taken to a medical facility at the mountain resort. He was later released.

"The plane bounced and the wings caught fire," Arum told the Associated Press. "The cabin filled up with smoke and we exited the plane one by one. By the time I got out, there was a wall of fire surrounding the door.

"It was amazing my clothing didn't catch on fire. Maybe it was because I was moving so fast."

Arum joked that "I'm a real promoter. I need attention, even for a big fight like this. If I need to crash an airplane to get it, I'm going to do it."

De La Hoya marveled at Arum's resiliency during the media session, which went on as scheduled.

"Bob has nine lives," the fighter said. "The guy's plane burned down and he's smiling, laughing, joking about it."

While the crash will be more thoroughly investigated, one of the two co-pilots indicated wind shear was a factor as the plane approached the airstrip. As a result, the plane -- a six-seat Cessna Citation 550 twin-engine jet -- overshot the runway by 200 yards and skidded into a dry pond.

Big Bear is approximately a five-hour drive from Las Vegas and is located 100 miles east of Los Angeles. It was amazing my clothing didn't catch on fire. Maybe it was because I was moving so fast."