Flight instructors consider Palermo a friend, mentor and best pilot they ever met Flight instructors consider Palermo a friend, mentor and best pilot they ever met By Theresa Schmidt | February 4, 2021 at 10:03 PM CST - Updated February 4 at 10:24 PM LAKE CHARLES, La. (KPLC) -The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the deadly crash that claimed the life of two well known citizens in our area. Rock Palermo and Don Clements were killed Tuesday night when the small plane they were in crashed in Cameron Parish. Certified flight instructors who own Plane Simple Flight School learned from Palermo. They consider him a mentor and the best pilot they knew.