Aviation-loving Colorado couple killed in Kansas plane crash will be remembered for their passion and kindness

For vintage aircraft enthusiasts Dave and Jeanne Allen of Colorado, it was their last flight. They were in a 1934 biplane that once flew the governor of Ohio to various events during the Great Depression.

The Allens crashed their shiny, teal vintage Waco plane in a Kansas field on June 30. They had spent a decade lovingly restoring it every day and had returned the plane mostly to its original condition — with a new fuel-injected engine. Law enforcement officials say both died from the impact of the crash.

Friends of the couple, who met at a pancake fly-in near their home over the weekend, said they were like parents to the small, enthusiastic group of vintage aircraft fans across the country.

They mentored new hobbyists who wanted to learn about aircraft restoration and showed an infectious enthusiasm for acquiring vintage aircraft – even wearing vintage clothing to match their vintage aircraft.

“They set a wonderful example. They were the parents and we were all the kids,” said Jim Norman, a neighbor at Kelly Airpark, an enclave of homes in Elbert that allow hangars so owners can store planes on their property. “It’s like losing a parent.”

Dave Allen, 78, and Jeanne Allen, 79, were born in California. They moved to Colorado in the 1960s and Dave attended the Air Force Academy, graduating in 1968. He was dating Jeanne at the time and postponed marriage because he expected to be deployed to Vietnam but was never called to serve.

The couple married and stayed in the Colorado Springs area, where Allen remained as an Air Force reservist and worked as a pilot for a commercial airline, first for Western Airlines and then for United. Jeanne, who was an aviation enthusiast even before her relationship with Dave, also earned a glider license. They had two sons and a young granddaughter.

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While at work, Dave devoted himself to competitive flying and Jeanne was his “ground crew” – accompanying him everywhere and sometimes bringing her then-young boys with him, according to a 2022 article about the couple in SportAviation magazine.

“Aviation is my passion,” Dave told the magazine. “It’s all I’ve ever wanted to do.”

When they retired, they looked for a piece of land where they could build a community of people who loved airplanes as much as they did. In 1987, they were the first settlers on a scratchy, dusty piece of land in Elbert—an old potato farm that they were determined to convert into a residential airport.

The Allens bought the first six lots and worked with a developer to build the development, neighbors said.

When Kelly Airpark was first created, the Allens researched the terrain and botany of the time to successfully grow and maintain soft grass so that the vintage airplanes could land on it instead of gravel or concrete. Landing on grass was like “landing on a cloud” in an old airplane, said Kelly resident Jamie Treat.

Friends of the couple say they were constantly together and shared everything, including an email address and cell phone number.

“When we talk about Dave, we’re not just talking about Dave, we’re talking about Dave and Jeanne,” said Jim Baker, a neighbor at Kelly Airpark. “They were a real team, they were inseparable.”

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It was Jeanne, however, who paid attention to detail when restoring airplanes. She worked tirelessly to find age-appropriate paint jobs for all of her planes, neighbors said. Among other things, she sought out a weaver who could reupholster the cream-colored seats of the teal 1934 Waco with gold pinstripes.

They also had the original Ohio National Guard seal painted on the side of the plane to commemorate its original owner, the state of Ohio. According to Vintage Aircraft magazine, the plane flew around high-ranking state officials, including the governor, during the Dust Bowl.

The Allens owned five airworthy aircraft, with others in the process of being restored, but they were best known internationally for their Wacos, most of which were made in Ohio in the 1930s and pronounced “Wock-Oh.”

What attracted the Allens to the Waco planes?

“Oh, I think it was the romance of the time,” said Jim Norman, a family friend. “They are beautiful planes, they have a huge following. The lines of the planes are beautiful.”

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The teal beauty Waco YKC they were flying the day they crashed and died was internationally renowned for its restoration and craftsmanship, winning best in show at every competition the Allens ever entered and being voted the 2013 Antique Grand Champion by the Antique Airplane Association and Airpower Museum.

The Allens were at a reunion in Waco, Ohio, the last weekend in June and were on their way back to Elbert in the teal plane when their friends suspected they were involved in an accident in Kansas.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) confirmed that it is investigating the crash and is expected to release an initial report within one to two weeks. The final report is expected to be released in one to two years, a spokesman said.

“We don’t know why they landed in a field,” said Jim Baker.

Norman agreed.

“It’s true, we all have our own speculative theory that we don’t reveal, but that wouldn’t be fair,” he said.