A former owner of Pennridge Airport died Sunday in a plane crash near Buenos Aires, Argentina, international media outlets report.
According to Britain’s Daily Mail, Gustavos Andre Deutsch, 78, and his wife were killed when a small aircraft he was piloting crashed into a home in Nordelta, an upscale suburb of the country’s capital. The airplane struck the roof of one home and smashed into a second, setting fire to both.
Both homes were unoccupied, and it was believed that Deutsch was trying to land the airplane when the crash occurred about 3:30 p.m. local time, the article said. A BBC report says Deutsch was piloting a Beechcraft 300LW Super King, a twin-turboprop airplane that typically has seating for eight passengers.
Reached Tuesday, Jean Curry, manager of Pennridge Airport, confirmed Deutsch’s death and called him a “benefactor,” adding that the airport underwent a period of growth during his ownership from 1982 to 2000.
“He built the hangars. He extended, resurfaced and widened the runway and put in weather stations and fuel pumps,” Curry said. “He basically developed the airport into what it is today.”
Curry says Deutsch stayed on as liaison between the airport and the Swiss company Bilsbury, which purchased Pennridge Airport in 2000. Curry described him as a personal mentor and kind individual, and said she believed it was at Pennridge that Deutsch learned to fly.
“He was a very intelligent and caring person,” Curry said. “Very polite and considerate, and very much a gentleman.”
Deutsch was also the owner of the now-defunct aviation company Private Airlines Argentinas, according to the Daily Mail report.
Curry said Deutsch maintained a residence in the Pennridge area during his ownership of the Pennridge Airport, and would occasionally rent a home on the airport property while acting as a consultant. She believed he originally came to the area because of family connections to his wife, who was not identified in media reports.
She said Deutsch’s death was a tragedy for the airport staff.
“He was always cordial and polite with everyone … and was very good to me, as far as being a mentor and helping me learn the business.”
- Source: http://www.theintell.com
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