Russell Munsh, a former Lake Highlands resident, was killed in a plane crash in Australia Tuesday
Friends are in mourning today for Russell Munsch, a former Lake Highlands resident killed in a plane crash in Australia Tuesday. The small engine aircraft was carrying 4 Texans to Tasmania for a golf game when the accident occurred about 9 a.m. Australian time.
Munsch was a founding partner of the law firm Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr in Dallas, and he and wife, Sheri, lived in Lake Highlands with daughter, Rachel, before moving to Austin in 1997. His Austin colleagues at Munsch Hardt issued a statement calling him “one of the best of all time.”
Just before the crash, the pilot, who also died in the accident, reported a “catastrophic engine failure.” The plane hit a mall near the airport. No one on the ground was hurt.
In addition to Munsch, John Washburn, Greg DeHaven, Glenn Garland and Australian pilot Max Quartermain perished on the plane.
The golfers were part of a larger group traveling to Australia for a “once in a lifetime trip,” Denelle Wicht, sister of DeHaven, told KXAN News in Austin. The golfers’ wives and other friends on the trip stayed behind in Australia for sightseeing and shopping, she said.
Funeral arrangements are pending.
