Former pilot for W.Va. governor killed in crash

**Former pilot for W.Va. governor killed in crash W.Va. Air National Guard Lt. Col. Mike Lakin’s red and white Super Decathlon rests in a field Thursday afternoon near the Union County Airport near Marysville, Ohio. Lakin, 42, of Charleston, who had recently returned from a deployment to Iraq, was killed when he crashed the small plane while flying for his air show recertification.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - A West Virginia Air National Guard officer and pilot who had recently returned from Iraq was killed when his small plane crashed about 25 miles northwest of Columbus, Ohio.

Lt. Col. Michael S. Lakin, 42, of Charleston was pronounced dead Thursday at a hospital near Marysville, Ohio.

Lakin, a full-time member of the Guard, previously flew for the state Division of Aviation as an executive transport pilot for Sen. Joe Manchin during his days as governor. He performed in aerobatic maneuvers in air shows in his free time. **

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Mike was a good man. I knew him when I was working towards my instrument rating at KHTW. He was a prior service Marine and gave me some flack once about a military medal pin I had on my hat. I had to explain when and where I got it and he still didn’t believe me until I produced a copy of the citation a few days later.