Family remembers plane crash victim

DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) - The family of Clay Yarber, Jr. gathered at Dayton National Cemetery to remember him one year after he was killed in a plane crash in Buffalo, New York.

"It means everything to me," said Pam Jones, Yarber's daughter. "His spirit will always live with me forever, and I just wanted it to be acknowledged today."

Yarber died February 12, 2009 when Continental Connection Flight 3407 crashed 10 miles from its destination at the Buffalo airport. All 49 people were killed on board, and one person was killed on the ground.

Yarber was a Vietnam veteran and an accomplished blues musician, who had played with the likes of Bob Seger and Ike and Tina Turner.

"He cheated death several times while he was in Vietnam, so I didn't expect him to go this way," said Jones.

Jones said Yarber was involved in two helicopter crashes while serving in Vietnam.

"He refused to fly," she said. "So why he decided to do this, no one knows."