As NTSB investigators continue their investigation of the recent plane crash that claimed the lives of five people, The Wall Street Journal has posted an article about the life and flying habits of the plane's pilot, Theron "Terry" Smith. The article focuses on Smith's reputation as a passenger jet pilot for Alaska Airlines, mentions a two-year suspension of his flight certification for medical reasons, and spends a great deal of time on his reputation among younger pilots as too daring, part of a "colorful" group of pilots dubbed "the Arctic Eagles." The article leads off by saying that Smith "was a flamboyant former airline pilot who reveled in seat-of-the-pants flying," and then runs with it. Read more, here, but be prepared to see Alaska bush aviators, and Smith in particular, come off looking like carefree daredevils.

That portrait of Alaska pilots may be appealing to Outside readers, but it is at odds with the experience of many rural fliers and passengers, and contradicts what people close to Smith say about his flying habits. Here's a pertinent excerpt from Alaska Dispatch's most recent article on flight safety and the crash investigation.

In the world of pilots, Smith was revered. "I caution everybody to hold judgment," said Madden, who noted there are a lot of things that could have gone wrong to lead up to the crash.

The National Transportation Safety Board has said it isn't even close to making a ruling yet.

"The consensus from all of the pilots I know that knew Terry, and knew well about his flying, concur that some factor other than (his) judgment and commitment to safety flight was at play," added friend and pilot Michael Schoder.

Read much more, here.

Also, Stuff, a New Zealand news outlet, notes that in 2009, Smith and his wife Terri had to crash-land a Piper Cub in the Waiau riverbed after serious mechanical trouble. The two were uninjured in the crash, but the walk out was tough. Said Smith at the time, "That walk was worse than ditching the plane." Read more, here.