Docket And Docket Items - National Transportation Safety Board: http://dms.ntsb.gov/pubdms
National Transportation Safety Board - Aviation Accident Data Summary: http://app.ntsb.gov/pdf
NTSB Identification: ERA12FA327
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Wednesday, May 09, 2012 in Sterling, PA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 06/19/2013
Aircraft: MOONEY M20J, registration: N9154K
Injuries: 2 Fatal,1 Serious.
NTSB investigators either traveled in support of this investigation or conducted a significant amount of investigative work without any travel, and used data obtained from various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.
The pilot landed at the airport for the first time, and he and two passengers went to dinner with family members. They returned to the airport after dark for the return flight to the pilot’s home base. According to the surviving passenger, the pilot initiated the takeoff roll from a taxiway intersection and did not utilize the entire runway. The 2,478 foot-long runway had a 2.4 percent upslope in the takeoff direction, with a prominent hill and trees located past the departure end. The airplane became airborne at the runway numbers, which were just before the displaced threshold, and the stall warning horn sounded immediately after liftoff. The pilot attempted to climb above the trees; however, the left wing struck a tree, and the airplane crashed into the woods about 0.37 miles past the departure end of the runway. The airplane impacted the ground inverted and caught fire. Examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of a pre-impact mechanical malfunction or failure. According to the aircraft manufacturer, the expected takeoff roll for the airplane at the time of the accident was about 1,490 feet on a level runway, given a gross weight at takeoff of 2,714 pounds. Maximum gross weight for the airplane was 2,900 pounds.
The surviving passenger reported that the pilot did not utilize a checklist and did not complete any weight and balance calculations. The pilot should have aborted the takeoff when he realized he wasn’t going to liftoff in time to clear the trees.
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
The pilot’s decision to take off on an uphill slope without utilizing the entire available runway, and his failure to abort the takeoff when he realized he wasn’t going to liftoff in time to clear the trees at the end of the runway.
"The Aerodrome Information was updated June 14, 2013."
HISTORY OF FLIGHT
On May 9, 2012, about 2225 eastern daylight time, a Mooney M20J, N9154K, was destroyed following a collision with trees and terrain after takeoff from Spring Hill Airport (70N), Sterling, Pennsylvania. The commercial pilot and one pilot-rated passenger were fatally injured and one passenger received serious injuries. The airplane was registered to a corporation and was operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed. The flight was originating at the time of the accident and was destined for Republic Airport, Farmingdale, New York (FRG).
The surviving passenger reported the following. He arrived at FRG earlier on the day of the accident for the flight with the pilot and the other passenger. He stated that he was in the aft seat at all times, the other passenger was in the right, cockpit seat at all times, and the pilot was in the left, cockpit seat at all times. The pilot performed all flight duties and the other passenger did not fly the airplane. The flight proceeded to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where the pilot had the fuel tanks topped off. He did not recall the pilot performing any weight and balance calculations, nor did he observe him using a checklist at any time. He recalled that the pilot stated they were, “…a little overweight from Farmingdale.”
During the flight, the pilot elected to land at 70N since it was closer to the other passenger’s parents, who were picking the group up for dinner. He stated that the pilot had not flown into 70N before. On the first attempt at a landing, the pilot acquired the runway late and commenced a go-around to lose altitude. An uneventful approach and landing were then made.
After dinner, the group returned to 70N for the return flight to FRG. The pilot was aware of the hill at the departure end of runway 23, since they had seen it in daylight hours during their arrival at 70N. After ground operations, the pilot taxied the airplane to runway 23. He lined up for takeoff at the intersection of the taxiway and runway 23; he did not back taxi to the end to utilize the entire runway. The pilot advanced the throttle to begin the takeoff roll. The runway lights were on and appeared normal. The airplane became airborne at the departure end numbers, just prior to the displaced threshold. Immediately after liftoff, the stall warning horn activated. The pilot was “unable to recover from the stall.” As the flight approached the trees at the end of the runway, the airplane began a turn to the left of the runway centerline. He could see the trees approaching, and estimated that the airplane was about three feet above the trees. The left wing struck a tree, and they “went down.” The airplane landed upside down, and caught fire immediately. He was able to climb out of a rear window that broke out during the impact.
When asked about engine performance, the passenger stated, “I didn’t hear any problems with the engine at all.” Shortly before the crash, he recalled the front seat passenger asking the pilot, “Are we going to be OK?” to which the pilot answered, “I don’t think so.” He also stated that the wind was “very light” at the time of departure.
The father of the front seat passenger was interviewed after the accident. He stated that none of the occupants of the airplane had been to 70N before. The flight departed runway 23 from the intersection closest to the departure end of runway 5. He stated that all the taxiway lights and the runway beacon were working.
A witness reported hearing the airplane's engine, followed by the sound of the airplane colliding with the trees and ground. She went outside her home and could see the wreckage on fire. The surviving passenger came running out of the woods, calling for help.
PERSONNEL INFORMATION
The pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land and instrument airplane. He reported a total flight experience of 272 hours on his commercial certificate application, dated July 11, 2011. The pilot’s personal flight logbook was not recovered.
AIRCRAFT INFORMATION
The airplane was a single engine, low wing, retractable gear airplane, serial number 24-3372. It was powered by a Lycoming IO-360 engine rated at 200 horsepower.
The aircraft maintenance records were not recovered after the accident.
METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION
The 2253 surface weather observation for Pocono Mountains Municipal Airport (MPO), Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania, reported wind from 310 degrees at 6 knots, visibility 10 nautical miles (nm) or better with light rain, few clouds at 7,000 feet, ceiling 9,000 feet broken, temperature 13 degrees C, dew point 7 degrees C, and altimeter setting 29.64 inches of mercury. Sunset was about 2008 and evening civil twilight was about 2039.
AERODROME INFORMATION
A lighted hill, about 29 feet high, was located about 201 feet beyond the runway 23 departure end. Runway 23 was 2,478 feet long, including a 400-foot displaced threshold at the departure end, and had a 2.4-percent upslope. All airport lighting was reportedly operational at the time of the accident.
The intersection of the taxiway and runway where the takeoff roll was initiated was about 200 feet from (beyond) the approach end of runway 23.
WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION
The accident site was situated in a wooded area, about 0.37 nm southwest of the departure end of runway 23. The airplane wreckage was found inverted, on a heading of 090 degrees. All structural components of the airplane were located within the area of the main wreckage and there was no discernible wreckage path. A post-crash fire consumed a majority of the cockpit, cabin, and left wing. Several broken tree limbs were located adjacent to the wreckage; they exhibited smooth, angular cuts and black transfer marks.
The landing gear were found in the extended position and the wing flaps were found in the “takeoff” position.
Flight control rod continuity was established from the burned cockpit area to the rudder, elevator, and ailerons. The left aileron control rod was intact and connected to the left aileron. The bracket holding the forward eyelet of the left aileron control rod was separated from the underlying structure. The right aileron control rod was broken immediately next to the aft eyelet. The fracture exhibited indications of an overload separation. The eyelet remained attached to the right aileron. The pilot and co-pilot control wheels were linked together via control rods.
The engine was removed from the firewall and examined at the accident site. The propeller remained attached to the engine. The exhaust system was partially impact-separated from the engine; it was removed and the heat shroud was removed from the cabin heater assembly and inspected. No exhaust gas residue was observed. The engine was separated from the airframe and was suspended by a chain using a front loading tractor and back hoe. All rocker covers and spark plugs were removed. The spark plugs displayed an extended service life and a color consistent with normal combustion when compared to a Champion Spark Plug wear guide. The engine was manually rotated using the propeller; suction and compression were observed on all cylinders. The valve rocker arms were observed rotating in a normal manner. The accessory gears were observed rotating. All cylinders were examined using a lighted bore scope; no defects were observed. Nothing was observed during the course of the examination that would have precluded this engine from making rated power prior to impact.
MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION
Pilot
A postmortem examination of the pilot was performed at the offices of Forensic Associates of NE PA, Wayne Memorial Hospital, Honesdale, Pennsylvania, on May 11, 2012. The autopsy report noted the cause of death as “Multiple traumatic injuries secondary to airplane accident (pilot)” and the manner of death was “accidental.” The report stated that the pilot was dead when the fire erupted.
Forensic toxicology testing was performed on specimens of the pilot by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory (CAMI), Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The CAMI toxicology report indicated no carbon monoxide, cyanide, ethanol, or drugs.
Pilot-rated Passenger
A postmortem examination of the pilot-rated passenger, seated in the right cockpit seat, was performed at the offices of Forensic Associates of NE PA, Wayne Memorial Hospital, Honesdale, Pennsylvania, on May 11, 2012. The autopsy report noted the cause of death as “Combined effects of smoke inhalation with carbon monoxide poisoning and pulmonary edema and heat secondary to airplane crash and fire” and the manner of death was “accidental.”
Forensic toxicology testing was performed on specimens of the pilot by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory (CAMI), Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The CAMI toxicology report indicated 19 percent carbon monoxide in the blood. No cyanide or drugs were detected in the blood. The blood was unsuitable for analysis for ethanol.
TESTS AND RESEARCH
Aircraft weight and takeoff performance was estimated using for the prevailing conditions at 70N at the time of the accident. According to the aircraft manufacturer, the expected takeoff roll for the airplane at the time of the accident was about 1,490 feet on a level runway, given a gross weight at takeoff of 2,714 pounds. Maximum gross weight for the airplane was 2,900 pounds. Runway 23 had a 2.4-percent upslope. The aircraft manufacturer did not have performance charts that incorporated runway upslope.
The body of Patrick Sheridan was carried from St. Ignatius Martyr Church after Sheridan’s funeral service on Tuesday.
Long Beach resident Patrick Sheridan, an aviation student at SUNY Farmingdale, was killed in a plane crash on May 9 in Pennsylvania.
Hundreds of people turned out on Tuesday morning to say goodbye to Patrick Sheridan, a Long Beach resident and Farmingdale State College aviation student who died in a plane crash on May 9, at age 34.
“These are my aunt Rose’s words: Patrick has left us too soon,” said Sheridan’s cousin Doreen Cooper, referring to Patrick’s mother, Rosemary. “He had a dream to become a pilot, which he did accomplish. He left us doing what he loved best — flying.”
According to the National Transportation Safety Board, the crash occurred shortly after 10:30 p.m. last Wednesday. After taking off from Spring Hill Airport in Sterling, Pa., the plane, a four-seat, single-engine Mooney M20J with Sheridan at the controls, crashed in Wayne County, in northeastern Pennsylvania. Sheridan and Casey Falconer, 19, of Garden City Park, were killed and a third passenger, Evan Kisseloff, 21, of Oceanside, was injured but survived. Kisseloff took part in Farmingdale’s commencement ceremony last Saturday, which honored the two dead students.
“As far as the campus mood, there have been a lot of tears here,” Patrick Calabria, Farmingdale’s vice president for institutional advancement, said last Friday. “We’re devastated — especially students in the aviation program who knew the students who were killed … I didn’t know Patrick personally, but I’m told he just loved flying, that it was his dream.”
The flight the students took was not associated with any college program, the school said. They were apparently on their way to visit Falconer’s family in Pennsylvania. Sheridan was a licensed pilot.
According to Peter Knudson, a spokesman for the NTSB, the agency is investigating the accident. A preliminary report was expected to be made available on the NTSB website this week, but it will be a year before a final report is released, Knudson said.
The plane was registered to Sheridan Air LLC, which lists Sheridan as the owner and an address on Tennessee Avenue in Long Beach, where his mother lives. According to his Facebook profile, Sheridan was a 1996 graduate of Long Beach High School and attended Nassau Community College. He founded Sheridan Air last May, and was a senior at SUNY Farmingdale.
“Our campus is in shock, and we are all trying to come to grips with this tragedy,” said Calabria. “Our hearts are with the family and friends of the two students who died. President [W. Hubert] Keen has released a message to the entire campus community and has reached out to the families of the victims to offer whatever comfort and support is needed, as well as to the student who survived.”
St. Ignatius Martyr Church was filled with mourners at Tuesday’s 10 a.m. funeral mass, with many people wiping away tears.
“She was devastated,” Deacon Tom Evrard said of Sheridan’s mother, a widow who raised Patrick and his brother, Phillip, after their father died unexpectedly about 30 years ago. “But she’s at peace. She’s very religious and she works very hard for the church.”
Evrard said that Rosemary Sheridan is involved in a number of outreach programs at St. Ignatius. “‘Woman of the church,’ they call her,” he said. “She’s a very holy, prayerful person.”
Neither Rosemary nor Phillip Sheridan spoke during the funeral service, but Patrick’s cousin Dan McCormack recalled fond memories. “He was a good kid, and he was always on an adventure somewhere, always on the run, and it’s very sad that he had to go so early,” McCormack said. “I’m going to miss him.”
McCormack, who played bagpipes outside the church before and after the mass to honor the family’s Irish heritage, said that Sheridan was always “doing his own thing,” and his mother said that he frequently invited neighbors to fly with him.
“He saw and visited more places in a very short time,” said Cooper. “He was looking for something. He will be missed, but I believe he is in a far better place today and he is at peace. He is fulfilled.”
Alex Costello and Anthony Rifilato contributed to this story.
“These are my aunt Rose’s words: Patrick has left us too soon,” said Sheridan’s cousin Doreen Cooper, referring to Patrick’s mother, Rosemary. “He had a dream to become a pilot, which he did accomplish. He left us doing what he loved best — flying.”
According to the National Transportation Safety Board, the crash occurred shortly after 10:30 p.m. last Wednesday. After taking off from Spring Hill Airport in Sterling, Pa., the plane, a four-seat, single-engine Mooney M20J with Sheridan at the controls, crashed in Wayne County, in northeastern Pennsylvania. Sheridan and Casey Falconer, 19, of Garden City Park, were killed and a third passenger, Evan Kisseloff, 21, of Oceanside, was injured but survived. Kisseloff took part in Farmingdale’s commencement ceremony last Saturday, which honored the two dead students.
“As far as the campus mood, there have been a lot of tears here,” Patrick Calabria, Farmingdale’s vice president for institutional advancement, said last Friday. “We’re devastated — especially students in the aviation program who knew the students who were killed … I didn’t know Patrick personally, but I’m told he just loved flying, that it was his dream.”
The flight the students took was not associated with any college program, the school said. They were apparently on their way to visit Falconer’s family in Pennsylvania. Sheridan was a licensed pilot.
According to Peter Knudson, a spokesman for the NTSB, the agency is investigating the accident. A preliminary report was expected to be made available on the NTSB website this week, but it will be a year before a final report is released, Knudson said.
The plane was registered to Sheridan Air LLC, which lists Sheridan as the owner and an address on Tennessee Avenue in Long Beach, where his mother lives. According to his Facebook profile, Sheridan was a 1996 graduate of Long Beach High School and attended Nassau Community College. He founded Sheridan Air last May, and was a senior at SUNY Farmingdale.
“Our campus is in shock, and we are all trying to come to grips with this tragedy,” said Calabria. “Our hearts are with the family and friends of the two students who died. President [W. Hubert] Keen has released a message to the entire campus community and has reached out to the families of the victims to offer whatever comfort and support is needed, as well as to the student who survived.”
St. Ignatius Martyr Church was filled with mourners at Tuesday’s 10 a.m. funeral mass, with many people wiping away tears.
“She was devastated,” Deacon Tom Evrard said of Sheridan’s mother, a widow who raised Patrick and his brother, Phillip, after their father died unexpectedly about 30 years ago. “But she’s at peace. She’s very religious and she works very hard for the church.”
Evrard said that Rosemary Sheridan is involved in a number of outreach programs at St. Ignatius. “‘Woman of the church,’ they call her,” he said. “She’s a very holy, prayerful person.”
Neither Rosemary nor Phillip Sheridan spoke during the funeral service, but Patrick’s cousin Dan McCormack recalled fond memories. “He was a good kid, and he was always on an adventure somewhere, always on the run, and it’s very sad that he had to go so early,” McCormack said. “I’m going to miss him.”
McCormack, who played bagpipes outside the church before and after the mass to honor the family’s Irish heritage, said that Sheridan was always “doing his own thing,” and his mother said that he frequently invited neighbors to fly with him.
“He saw and visited more places in a very short time,” said Cooper. “He was looking for something. He will be missed, but I believe he is in a far better place today and he is at peace. He is fulfilled.”
Alex Costello and Anthony Rifilato contributed to this story.
Source: http://www.liherald.com
NTSB Identification: ERA12FA327
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Wednesday, May 09, 2012 in Sterling, PA
Aircraft: MOONEY M20J, registration: N9154K
Injuries: 2 Fatal,1 Serious.
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Wednesday, May 09, 2012 in Sterling, PA
Aircraft: MOONEY M20J, registration: N9154K
Injuries: 2 Fatal,1 Serious.
This
is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors.
Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has
been completed.
On May 9, 2012, about 2225 eastern daylight
time, a Mooney M20J, N9154K, was substantially damaged following a
collision with trees and terrain after takeoff from Spring Hill Airport
(70N), Sterling, Pennsylvania. The certificated commercial pilot and one
pilot-rated passenger were fatally injured and one passenger received
serious injuries. The airplane was registered to a corporation and
operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal
Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Night visual meteorological
conditions prevailed and an instrument flight rules flight plan was
filed. The flight was originating at the time of the accident and was
destined for Republic Airport, Farmingdale, New York (FRG).
Reportedly,
the flight arrived at 70N earlier in the evening after refueling at
Lancaster, Pennsylvania (LNS). After the pilot and passengers returned
to the airport, the flight departed on runway 23. Radio and radar
contact with air traffic control was not established. The airplane
crashed about 0.37 nautical miles southwest of the departure end of
runway 23.
An initial examination of the wreckage revealed the
following. The accident site was situated in a wooded area. The airplane
wreckage was found inverted, on a heading of 090 degrees. All
structural components of the airplane were located within the area of
the main wreckage. A post-crash fire consumed a majority of the cockpit,
cabin, and left wing. The landing gear were found in the extended
position and the wing flaps were found in the takeoff position.
A
lighted hill, about 29 feet high, was located about 201 feet from the
runway end. Runway 23 had a 2.4-percent upslope. All airport lighting
was reportedly operational at the time of the accident.
A witness
reported hearing the airplane's engine, followed by the sound of the
airplane colliding with the trees and ground. She went outside her home
and could see the wreckage on fire. The surviving passenger came running
out of the woods, calling for help.
That’s the way Jean Radagan, professor of aviation at Farmingdale, recalled Falconer who she taught in her general aeronautics class in his freshman year.
“He took flying very seriously. It was like his
life’s passion,” Radagan said of Falconer, who had been a sophomore at
Farmingdale.
She said the 19-year-old aviation major was universally liked by his peers.
He was very, very likeable. All the students loved him. He always had a smile on this face,” she said.
Radagan said she recalled that Falconer would sometimes sit on the end of the runway listening to the sound of tower operations.
“He was almost addicted to the flying scene. He absolutely loved it,” she said.
Graveside services for Falconer were held at Pinelawn Cemetery on Tuesday morning.
Falconer, 19, and fellow aviation student
Patrick Sheridan from Farmingdale State College were killed last week
when the plane Sheridan was piloting crashed shortly after taking off
from Spring Hill Airport in Sterling, PA last Wednesday night.
The fixed-wing single-engine Mooney M20J
apparently lost power minutes after it was airborne and reportedly
crashed into the ground and burst into flames.
A second passenger in the plane, Evan Kisseloff, 21 of Oceanside, also an aviation student at Farmingdale, survived the crash.
“There was a point when I knew there was going
to be an impact. I didn’t know when it was going to be, but I knew that
it was going to be,” said Kisseloff in an interview posted online after
participating in graduation ceremonies at Farmingdale on Saturday.
Kisseloff said he recalled the left wing of the
aircraft striking a tree limb just before impact. He said he screamed
for the others to get out of the plane as he crawled to safety but heard
no response.
Falconer and Sheridan were pronounced dead at the scene.
Falconer’s wake at the New Hyde Park Funeral
Home was thronged with people seeking to pay their respects to a young
man some remembered as an Eagle Scout.
Members of the Falconer family declined to speak with reporters.
Kisseloff recalled that he and Falconer met
when Falconer first started attending school in Farmingdale. He
described him as a friend and confidante.
“He was the kind of person you could go to about anything,” he said.
He said he particularly appreciated Falconer’s sense of humor.
“He had an adult sense of humor, a very mature sense of humor,” Kisseloff said. “His jokes still play in my head every day.”
He said he would remember both of his schoolmates for their devotion to aviation.
Source: http://www.theislandnow.com
Patrick Sheridan (left) and Casey Falconer (right)Casey Falconer and Patrick Sheridan, the Farmingdale State aviation students killed Wednesday in a plane crash in Pennsylvania, are being remembered today (Monday, May 14th).
Visiting for Falconer, who was 19 and lived in Garden City Park, takes place from 2 to 5 p.m. and from 7 to 10 p.m. at New Hyde Park Funeral Home. A funeral service for Falconer will be at the funeral home Tuesday at 10 a.m.
Visiting for Sheridan, who was 34 and lived in Long Beach, is being held from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. Monday at Christopher T. Jordan Funeral Home in Island Park.
A funeral Mass will be celebrated for Sheridan Tuesday at 10 a.m. at St. Ignatius Martyr Church in Long Beach.
Visiting for Sheridan, who was 34 and lived in Long Beach, is being held from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. Monday at Christopher T. Jordan Funeral Home in Island Park.
A funeral Mass will be celebrated for Sheridan Tuesday at 10 a.m. at St. Ignatius Martyr Church in Long Beach.
"In Our Hearts Patrick and Casey"
The message at the Farmingdale State College commencement
(Credit: CBS 2)
~
Three days after a plane crash claimed the lives of two Farmingdale State aviation students, the wreck’s lone survivor joined his classmates Saturday at the school’s 93rd commencement ceremony.
Evan Kisseloff, 21, of Oceanside, survived a Wednesday night crash in Sterling, Pa. The plane reportedly stalled on takeoff from Spring Hill Airport – bound for Republic Airport – and crashed.
Patrick Sheridan, 34, of Long Beach, and Casey Falconer, 19, of Garden City Park, died in the accident. The school remembered the two with a moment of silence, led by Brian Maher, Director of the Long Island Educational Opportunity Center, who gave the invocation.
“Our hearts are heavy and our spirits are saddened as we face this tragedy together,” Maher said.
Amazingly Kisseloff, who was largely unharmed from the crash, marched with an estimated 600 fellow Farmingdale State students Saturday at Nold Hall. Kisseloff received a Bachelor of Science with honors in Aviation Administration.
“I’ve been looking forward to this day for a very long time,” Kisseloff said. “I remember being in the emergency room asking the doctor, ‘Am I going to be able to walk on Saturday?’”
He did.
Flanked by his parents, Alan and Nancy, and siblings, Jared and Brittany, Kisseloff recounted the fateful flight from just days earlier.
Sheridan owned the single-engine plane, which the trio took on a day trip from East Farmingdale to Lancaster, Pa. and then on to Spring Hill Airport to meet Falconer’s parents for dinner.
They all hugged Falconer’s mother, shook his father’s hand and said their goodbyes at the airport, Kisseloff said.
No more than three minutes after takeoff, according to Kisseloff, the stall alarm went off. Then a wing clipped a tree and the plane hit the ground.
“The first thing that came to my mind after impact was, ‘This is not how it’s going to end for me. This can’t be it,’” Kisseloff said.
Kisseloff, who suffered a cracked left rib and stitches in a heavily bandaged right hand, said he managed to escape through the rear passenger window before the plane burst into flames.
On Saturday, he donned a graduation robe and cap and took his place unassumingly in the procession.
“We’re very proud he accomplished what he accomplished,” said dad, Alan Kisseloff, who came up from Ormond Beach, Fla. to be at graduation. “Our hearts go out to the Falconers and Sheridans. No parent should ever have to suffer this kind of loss.”
Video - Interview with Evan Kisseloff
Evan Kisseloff survived the crash that killed two other students at his Long Island aviation school. Farmingdale State University said Friday that Evan Kisseloff was expected at Saturday's commencement. Patrick Sheridan (left) and Casey Falconer (right)
~
Air safety investigators at the accident scene of the plane crash in Wayne Co, Pa.
(May 11, 2012)
~
Air safety investigators at the accident scene of the plane crash in Wayne Co,. Pa. where two Long Island students were killed and one survived.
(May 11, 2012)
Wayne County Emergency Management Director Steve Price stands by police tape on Bortree Road, Sterling, near Spring Hill Airport in northeastern Pennsylvania, where a plane crash killed two people Wednesday night, authorities said. A third passenger survived.
(May 10, 2012)
The charred debris of a private plane which crashed after taking off from Spring Hill Airport in Sterling, Pa.
(May 10, 2012)
The mother of the pilot of a plane bound for Republic Airport in East Farmingdale from Pennsylvania shows a photo of her son.
(May 10, 2012)
The mother of the pilot of a plane bound for East Farmingdale from Pennsylvania shows a photo of her son.
(May 10, 2012)
Meghan Campisi, 29, a neighbor and long-time family friend of Casey Falconer, gets emotional as she remembers him.
(May 10, 2012)
Casey Falconer, 19, of Garden City Park, pictured on his Facebook page, and pilot Patrick Sheridan, 34, of Long Beach, were killed in a plane crash in northeastern Pennsylvania.
An undated facebook photo of Pilot Patrick Sheridan, 34, of Long Beach.
An undated Facebook photo of Casey Falconer, 19, of Garden City Park.
Andrew Salatti, 21, called 911 after he witnessed the crash of the fixed-wing, single-engine Mooney M20J plane that killed two Long Island aviation students from Farmingdale State College, a third student also in the flight program, survived.
~
Andrew Salatti was watching an episode of "House" with his mother and
younger brother when he heard a plane's engine stall. A thunderous
crash followed moments later. "The whole house shook," Salatti, 21, said Friday. "We opened the blinds and saw a huge fireball." From his house in rural Sterling, near Spring Hill Airport, Salatti had a clear view.
Steve, Patrick, Mike
Video - Interview with Patrick's mom
Graduating students of Farmingdale State College arrived for commencement on Saturday morning. And just steps away was a congratulatory message, mixed with a message of sadness for the two students who died in a plane crash on Wednesday.
The students are excited for their day, but at the same time they’re realizing that those two students will never get to do this.
“It’s so sad because of all the work and dedication that they probably put into it,” Chris Dunn of Massapequa Park told CBS 2′s Ann Mercogliano. “It’s just really sad.”
“Everyone is going to try to put it behind them right now and enjoy this special day,” Nick Field of Hauppauge added.
Three students were on board the private Mooney M20J when it crashed. They were leaving Sterling, Pennsylvania for Long Island.
Piloting the single-engine plane was 34-year-old Patrick Sheridan of Long Beach. He, along with 19-year-old passenger Casey Falconer of Garden City Park were killed.
His father described how his son saved his own life.
“The first thing Evan yelled to everyone was, ‘Get out, Get out,’ Evan’s father, Alan, said. “But he didn’t get any response from the two passengers up front. But he saw a window was broken and he was able to pull himself out.”
“I’m happy that at least one person made it out,” one graduate said. “I can only imagine how he’s feeling right now.”
At Farmingdale State College and at Republic Airport, flags are at half-staff. Falconer was an only child, and the day trip was to have dinner with his parents.
Neighbors fondly remembered the two men who loved to fly.
“I heard that [Casey] had a passion for becoming a pilot,” Falconer’s neighbor said. “He was such a nice kid and he helped the neighbors.
STERLING, Pa. - The two aviation students who died in a Pennsylvania plane crash will be remembered at Farmingdale State College's commencement ceremony Saturday.
The names of the victims -- Patrick Sheridan, 34, of Long Beach, and Casey Falconer, 19, of Garden City Park -- will be read aloud during the invocation. Electronic signs at the entrance to campus will also carry a message in memoriam, college officials said.
The lone survivor of the Wednesday night crash, Evan Kisseloff, 21, of Oceanside, is expected to attend the graduation, receiving a degree in aviation management.
"It will be felt. Everybody is going to be thinking about this," said Paul Pilipshen, 39, of East Islip, who is graduating Saturday and knew Sheridan.
At the crash scene in Sterling, Pa., investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board examined the charred wreckage Friday, searching for clues.
Ralph Hicks, NTSB's lead investigator, said 80 percent of the plane was destroyed by fire after it crashed in a wooded area 2,250 feet from the end of the runway at Spring Hill Airport.
"Every piece" of the plane has been accounted for, Hicks said. He said the wreckage will be hauled to a hangar in Clayton, Del., where investigators will try to determine the cause of the crash.
"We're looking at the whole, big picture. We'll take it apart and see what's left," Hicks said.
The crash occurred about 10:30 p.m., with the three students en route to Republic Airport in East Farmingdale. The single-engine Mooney M20J apparently stalled on takeoff, clipped some trees and slammed into the ground, authorities said.
Sheridan, the pilot, was a student in the school's professional pilot program, as was Falconer, the college said.
Sheridan's license was in good standing, with no record of any enforcement actions by the Federal Aviation Administration, officials said.
Investigators haven't determined whether Sheridan was also instrument-rated, which is required for nighttime takeoffs.
The students had dinner Wednesday with Falconer's parents at their home in the Poconos, and were returning to Republic Airport at the time of the crash.
Kisseloff, who suffered a cracked rib and bruises, was treated and released. From the rear passenger seat, he escaped the burning plane by crawling through a window, then called for help, authorities and witnesses said.
Wayne County Coroner Edward Howell said autopsies on Falconer and Sheridan were completed Friday. Toxicology tests, routine in NTSB investigations, were also done, he said.
No results have been released.
Ben Struck, chief flight instructor at the Farmingdale college, said he and the 30 students in the pilot education class are grieving and trying to figure out how to honor the students who died.
"They were good kids," he said.
FARMINGDALE, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) – Counselors will be available Friday at Farmingdale State College on Long Island after two aviation students were killed in a plane crash in northeastern Pennsylvania.
WCBS 880′s Sophia Hall reports
Federal investigators hope to figure out what exactly caused the single-engine aircraft to go down Wednesday night. Authorities said the plane hit some trees while taking off from an airport in Sterling Township.
Killed were 34-year-old pilot Patrick Sheridan of Long Beach and 19-year-old Casey Falconer of Garden City Park.
A third passenger, 21-year-old Evan Kisseloff of Oceanside, survived. He was treated and released from an area hospital.
1010 WINS’ Mona Rivera reports Alan Kisseloff, Evan’s father, said it was pure luck that his son made it out alive. “Evan was in the back seat of the plane. The plane landed and flipped over, but he saw that the window of the back of the plane was broken and he was able to pull himself out,” Kisseloff told 1010 WINS’ Mona Rivera. Kisseloff said the plane caught fire and his son wasn’t able to save the others inside.
Patrick Calabria, Farmingdale’s vice president for Institutional Advancement, said “Our campus is in shock and we are all trying to come to grips with this tragedy.” Clabria said the three were in a privately owned or rented plane and they were visiting friends and family. “It’s very tough on us and of course, toughest on the families,” he told WCBS 880′s Sophia Hall. It could take at least five days before the NTSB issues a preliminary report on the crash.
Reaction to Wayne County Plane Crash
Officials have released the names of the people involved in a fatal plane crash in Wayne County.
The four-seat, single-engine plane crashed in a wooded part of Sterling Township Wednesday night.
The pilot, Patrick Sheridan, 34, and a passenger, Casey Falconer, 19, were killed.
A passenger, Evan Kisseloff, 21, survived. All three were from New York State and all three were students in an aviation program at a New York State school. The pilot was certified.
The plane, according to school officials, was a private one the students were using for a personal trip.
“The airplane was actually inverted and about 75 percent of the airplane was destroyed by fire but the aircraft is all in one place but upside down,” said Ralph Hicks, National Transportation Safety Board Investigator.
While transportation officials investigate what led to the fiery crash, people reacted to the tragic news.
“Planes are really safe but every now and then something happens,” said James Scrobola of Wyoming.
Scrobola is 17 years old and learning how to fly. He said aviation students especially need to be careful when in the sky. The more you fly, he said, the better you get.
“It’s like driving a car, basically. It’s time you need, more and more time. Practice makes perfect,” Scrobola added.
John Kuzma has been a pilot since 1955. He is also an aircraft mechanic who said planes are safe, but anything can happen. Kuzma is familiar with the area where the Wayne County crash happened and said he thinks the runways in that area are short, and at night, of course, it can be hard to see.
“You have to be a fast thinker and have your head screwed on right, that’s what you have to do, ” Kuzma said.
NTSB officials said they expect a complete report on the crash in a year.
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The two individuals killed and a third injured in a plane crash in Sterling Township late Wednesday were all aviation students from a New York college, authorities said today.
Wayne County Coroner Edward R. Howell identified the two individuals
killed in the crash as the plane's owner, Patrick Sheridan, 34, of
Long Beach, N.Y., and Casey Falconer, 19, of Garden City Park, N.Y.
Sheridan — who owns the Sheridan Air LLC that the plane is registered to — was flying the craft when it struck trees upon takeoff from the Spring Hill Airport and crashed.
Both Sheridan and Falconer were pronounced dead at the scene by the Wayne County Coroner's office.
A second passenger, Evan Kisseloff, 21, Oceanside, N.Y., survived the crash and was transported by Lifeflight to Geisinger Community Medical Center from the scene.
All three individuals were aviation students at Farmingdale College at the State University of New York, Howell said.
Peter Knudsen, a spokesman for the National Traffic Safety Board, said the plane's flight plan listed Farmingdale, N.Y., as its destination.
Autopsies for both deceased victims are scheduled for 9 a.m. Friday.
The scene of the crash has not been opened to the media.
Authorities are securing the scene of the crash until investigators from the National Transportation and Safety Board arrive later this afternoon to inspect the damage, said Steve Price, Wayne County Emergency Management Agency coordinator.
The plane, a Mooney M20J single-engine model, crashed at about 10:30 p.m. while trying to take off from Spring Hill Airport in Sterling Township and appeared to have run into trees, Price said.
The plane caught fire in the crash and was extensively burned before responders from several area fire departments managed to extinguish the flames, Price said.
The crash came just four days after another plane crash in Wayne County.
On Saturday, Rock Hill, N.Y., resident Jeffrey Gilbert, 67, was killed after he crashed his Cessna 177 at Cherry Ridge Airport.
That crash is still under investigation by the NTSB.
Sheridan — who owns the Sheridan Air LLC that the plane is registered to — was flying the craft when it struck trees upon takeoff from the Spring Hill Airport and crashed.
Both Sheridan and Falconer were pronounced dead at the scene by the Wayne County Coroner's office.
A second passenger, Evan Kisseloff, 21, Oceanside, N.Y., survived the crash and was transported by Lifeflight to Geisinger Community Medical Center from the scene.
All three individuals were aviation students at Farmingdale College at the State University of New York, Howell said.
Peter Knudsen, a spokesman for the National Traffic Safety Board, said the plane's flight plan listed Farmingdale, N.Y., as its destination.
Autopsies for both deceased victims are scheduled for 9 a.m. Friday.
The scene of the crash has not been opened to the media.
Authorities are securing the scene of the crash until investigators from the National Transportation and Safety Board arrive later this afternoon to inspect the damage, said Steve Price, Wayne County Emergency Management Agency coordinator.
The plane, a Mooney M20J single-engine model, crashed at about 10:30 p.m. while trying to take off from Spring Hill Airport in Sterling Township and appeared to have run into trees, Price said.
The plane caught fire in the crash and was extensively burned before responders from several area fire departments managed to extinguish the flames, Price said.
The crash came just four days after another plane crash in Wayne County.
On Saturday, Rock Hill, N.Y., resident Jeffrey Gilbert, 67, was killed after he crashed his Cessna 177 at Cherry Ridge Airport.
That crash is still under investigation by the NTSB.
Original story: http://citizensvoice.com
SCRANTON, Pennsylvania --
A small plane that crashed near a northeastern Pennsylvania airport,
killing two aviation students from a Long Island college and injuring a
third, was not flying as any part of a college program, a spokesman said
Thursday.
The pair who died in Wednesday night's crash were
identified as 34-year-old pilot Patrick Sheridan of Long Beach, N.Y.,
and 19-year-old passenger Casey Falconer of Garden City Park, N.Y.
Authorities identified the surviving passenger as 21-year-old Evan
Kisseloff of Oceanside, N.Y.
Wayne County coroner Edward Howell said all three men were students in the aviation program at Farmingdale College
at the State University of New York. Howell said autopsies will be
conducted Friday. Farmingdale spokesman Patrick Calabria said the
plane was not owned by the college and the flight was not part of any
college program.
"The campus is in shock," Calabria said. "We're all trying to come to
grips with this. Our hearts are with the family and friends of those
killed and injured."
Calabria said the college aviation
program has existed since the 1960s, and has a pilot training track and
an airport management track. Currently, approximately 200 students are
enrolled in the aviation program.
Sheridan was a senior, as is Kisseloff, according to Calabria; Falconer was a sophomore.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash.
Farmingdale College statement:
"Our campus is in shock and we are all trying to come to grips with
this tragedy. Our hearts are with the family and friends of the two
students who died. President Keen has released a message to the entire
campus community and is in the process of reaching out to the families
of the victims to offer whatever comfort and support is needed, as well
as to the student who survived. Students, faculty and staff are being
encouraged to use the campus personal counseling service which is
standing by if they need," said Patrick Calabria, Vice President for
Institutional Advancement, Farmingdale State College.
