Piper PA-28-140 Cherokee, N6842W: Fatal accident occurred March 29, 2015 near Brandywine Airport (KOQN), West Goshen Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania

NTSB Identification: ERA15FA171
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Sunday, March 29, 2015 in West Chester, PA
Aircraft: PIPER PA 28-140, registration: N6842W
Injuries: 2 Fatal.

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. 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.

On March 29, 2015, about 1334 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-28-140, N6842W, registered to and operated by a private individual, crashed shortly after takeoff from Brandywine Airport (OQN), West Chester, Pennsylvania. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the 14 CFR Part 91 personal, local flight. The airplane was destroyed by impact and a postcrash fire, and the certified flight instructor and private-rated pilot were fatally injured. The flight was originating at the time of the accident.

The purpose of the flight was a flight review for the airplane owner, who had reportedly not flown since 2011. One witness on the airport reported hearing a rough running engine during a check of one magneto during an engine run-up, but the condition cleared up during a second magneto check after leaving the engine operating at a higher rpm for a period of time.

A takeoff from runway 27 was initiated, but by one witness account, the takeoff was aborted and the airplane was taxied off the runway at the second turn off. The witness did not hear any abnormal engine sounds associated with the aborted takeoff. The airplane was taxied to the approach end of runway 27, and no engine run-up was heard being performed. During takeoff, several witnesses reported hearing sputtering from the engine at a point when the airplane was about midpoint of the runway. The witness descriptions varied likely based on their locations in relation to the airplane whether the airplane was on the runway or just above it when the sputtering occurred. One witness who was located south of the runway described the sputtering as significant, while a second witness described it lasting 3 to 4 seconds while the airplane was only 2 to 3 feet above ground level. The nose of the airplane was observed to lower and engine power was heard to be restored.

The flight continued, and by several witness accounts, the airplane began to climb and the sputtering or popping sounds resumed. The airplane at that time by witness accounts was either ¾ down the runway, or west of the runway over 202. One witness did not observe any smoke trailing the airplane during the second sound of pops, and he could not tell if the engine continued to run. The airplane was observed struggling "to maintain altitude" with one witness stating the airplane never climbed higher than 200 feet. The airplane was observed by several witnesses in a left turn that steepened to what one witness described as wings vertical. The airplane was then observed to pitch nose down, and impacted the back yard of a residence. A postcrash fire began about 10 seconds after impact, which was extinguished by fire rescue.

JOSEPH J. DEAL: http://registry.faa.gov/N6842W

Any witnesses should email witness@ntsb.gov, and any friends and family who want to contact investigators about the accident should email assistance@ntsb.gov.

Joseph Deal, left, and Richard Poch
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West Goshen police on Wednesday identified the two people killed in Sunday’s small plane crash in the township.

Richard Poch, 67, of West Chester and Joseph Deal, 64, of Drexel Hill, were killed in the crash, police said. Both men held active pilot certifications issued by the Federal Aviation Administration.

Shortly after taking off from the Brandywine Airport and flying over Route 202, the plane crashed into a field behind a residence in the 1000 block of Saunders Lane around 1:34 p.m. Sunday afternoon.

Officials believe the purpose of the flight was to conduct a flight review, which is required of FAA-certified pilots every two years to keep their pilot certificates active. Poch, who was a retired colonel of the U.S. Air Force, was also a certified flight instructor.

During a flight review, the pilot under review typically flies the plane, while the certified flight instructor observes and ascertains the pilot’s skills, so it’s assumed that Deal was flying the aircraft when it crashed.

Witnesses at the airport reported hearing the plane’s engine sputtering intermittently, and seeing the plane make a sharp turn before losing sight of it.

The cause of the crash has not yet been determined. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is currently investigating the crash, and a preliminary report is expected to be released next week, said Tim Monville, a senior air safety investigator with the NTSB.

Witnesses at the airport reported hearing the plane’s engine sputtering intermittently, and seeing the plane make a sharp turn before losing sight of it.

A sputtering engine might be caused by a problem in the fuel supply system, but an engine malfunction wouldn’t necessarily result in an aerodynamic loss of control, Monville said.

According to Richard Shaw, a retired certified flight instructor who lives in Chester Springs and used to own a Piper PA-28 Cherokee similar to the one Deal and Poch were flying, that type of plane is known for having problems with the fuel sump. If the sump isn’t pulled out correctly in a secure position, it can cause the engine to suck in air and sputter while flying in a nose-up position, such as during a takeoff, Shaw said.

It is not yet clear who owned the plane that crashed. The plane was almost completely consumed by a post-crash fire, and no registration markings were clearly visible on the plane, officials said.

“Joe was a kind soul and a wonderful man. … His passion for adventure was only outweighed by his love of family and friends, and his dedication to helping others,” Deal’s family said in a statement. “Our hearts and prayers are with the instructor’s family and our sincere gratitude goes out to all the first responders and law enforcement involved.”

Deal was a Delaware County native and a graduate of Drexel University.

Poch’s family was not available for comment. His funeral services were held at Temple Sholom in Broomall at 1 p.m. on Wednesday.

Source:   http://www.dailylocal.com

More than 72 hours after a plane crashed in West Goshen Township, killing its two occupants Sunday afternoon, the Chester County Coroner’s Office has not yet publicly released the identity of the victims. 

Positive identifications of the victims were expected by Tuesday evening, said an employee at the Chester County Coroner’s office. The victims’ families would be notified after positive identifications have been made, but the victims’ names likely wouldn’t be released to the public until sometime on Wednesday, the employee said.

The autopsies of the victim’s bodies were performed Monday afternoon, and forensic dental examinations were expected to be completed by Tuesday evening, said Chief Joseph Gleason of the West Goshen Police Department. Due to the severity of the conditions of the bodies, positive identifications of the victims could not be made without forensic dental examinations, Gleason said.

After the victims’ families had been contacted and notified of their deaths, the West Goshen Police Department, along with the Chester County Coroner’s Office, would issue a press release with the identities of the victims; the press release would also be posted to the township’s website, wgoshen.org, Gleason said. “My priority is that the families are the first to know,” he added.

The National Transportation Safety Board was continuing its investigation into the crash, and investigators were examining the plane’s engine in a garage at the West Goshen Police Department, Gleason said.

The small plane had taken off from the Brandywine Airport and flown over Route 202, before crashing in a field in the 1000 block of Saunders Lane, near the Harrison Hills Apartments senior living complex, at about 1:34 p.m. Sunday.

Officials believe that both victims were pilots, and the purpose of the flight was to conduct a flight review, which is required of FAA-certified pilots every two years to keep their pilot certificates active.

Witnesses at the airport reported hearing the plane’s engine sputtering intermittently, and seeing the plane make a sharp turn before losing sight of it.

A sputtering engine might be caused by a problem in the fuel supply system, but an engine malfunction wouldn’t necessarily result in an aerodynamic loss of control, said Tim Monville, a senior air safety investigator with the NTSB. 

Investigators look for evidence at the scene of a fatal plane crash in the 1000 block of Saunders Lane in West Goshen on Monday.

West Goshen >> While the identities of the two people who died in a plane crash Sunday afternoon have yet to be determined, it’s believed that both victims were pilots, and the purpose of the flight was to conduct a flight review.

Tim Monville, a senior air investigator with the National Transportation Safety Board, and Chief Joseph Gleason of the West Goshen Police Department spoke to reporters Monday afternoon in the 1000 block of Saunders Lane near the site of Sunday’s plane crash.

“At this point, we understand that the purpose of the flight was a flight review,” Monville said. Pilots who hold an active U.S. pilot certificate, issued by the Federal Aviation Administration, or FAA, are required to undergo a flight review every two years; the flight review, which is commonly referred to as a Biennial Flight Review, or BFR, consists of a minimum of one hour of ground training and one hour of flight training with a certified flight instructor, according to faa.gov.

The small plane had taken off from Brandywine Airport and had flown over Route 202 before crashing in a field, county officials said Sunday. The West Goshen Police Department received a call about the accident at approximately 1:34 p.m. Sunday, Gleason said.

Police officers who initially responded to the crash site were unable to get close to it because it was an active-fire scene, Gleason said. West Chester Good Will and West Whiteland fire companies responded and extinguished the blaze. As a result of the fire, the victims’ identities could not be determined at that time, Gleason added.

Monville, who is assigned to the NTSB’s office in Ashburn, Virginia, said the NTSB was also notified of the accident Sunday afternoon. Monville arrived at the scene of the crash at about 7:10 a.m. Monday morning to begin the investigation, and was assisted by the West Goshen Police Department and representatives of the FAA, he said.

It’s believed that the two victims of the crash, who have not yet been identified, were FAA-certified pilots, Monville said. Autopsies of the bodies were scheduled for 4:30 p.m. Monday, and the identities of the victims will likely be released Tuesday, Gleason said.

The plane was almost completely consumed by a post-crash fire, making it difficult to identify the plane and who owns it, Monville said. “I’ve not even seen an airplane data plate yet that would give a serial number yet, and there is no obvious registration marking on it (the plane),” he added.

“With respect to both occupants, we will be getting their backgrounds, along with investigating the maintenance of the airplane, who maintained it last,” Monville said.

Monville said he would be meeting with representatives of the airplane and engine manufacturers as part of the investigation, which the NTSB will be in charge of.

Upon completion of an investigation, the NTSB can issue safety recommendations but has no legal authority to implement those recommendations, Monville said.

According to a witness account, an engine run-up was performed by the pilot to conduct safety checks prior to takeoff, and the plane became airborne at the midpoint of the runway, Monville said. Another witness reported hearing the plane’s engine sputtering, and then regaining power before sputtering again, and observing the plane bank left before losing sight of it.

“Based on the accounts of a sputtering engine, we’re going to check the fuel supply system,” Monville said.

Although it’s believed that the plane’s engine was malfunctioning, that doesn’t necessarily mean the crash was caused by a stalled engine; more radar data would need to be gathered to determine that, Monville said.

“An engine malfunction, whether catastrophic or a minor power loss, does not equate to an aerodynamic loss of control,” he said. “As long as you maintain a certain airspeed, depending on the bank angle, the airplane will still be capable, should be capable of flying.”

The site of the crash is less than half a mile from the western edge of the runway; the plane went down near Harrison Hills Apartments, a 55-plus senior living complex.

There is no information available about the plane’s flight plan yet, but the FAA is looking into that, Monville said.

The NTSB will be investigating the site of the crash for the next several days, and a preliminary report will likely be issued next week, Monville said.

Original article can be found here:  http://www.dailylocal.com

West Goshen Township Police Chief Joseph Gleason, left, and Tim Monville, senior air safety investigator with the National Transportation Safety Board, walk from the site of a fatal plane crash in 1000 block of Saunders Lane in West Goshen on Monday. The plane crash, which occurred Sunday afternoon, killed the two people on board the plane. 

Investigators look for evidence at the scene of a fatal plane crash in the 1000 block of Saunders Lane in West Goshen on Monday. The crash, which occurred Sunday afternoon, killed the two people on board the plane.

WEST GOSHEN TWP. -- Two people are dead after a small plane crashed in West Goshen Township. It happened around 1:40 p.m. on Sunday after the aircraft took off from the Brandywine Airport. 

According to the Federal Aviation Administration, it was a Piper PA-28 aircraft that crashed at the intersection of Saunders Lane and Andrew Drive. The FAA says the aircraft departed from the Brandywine Airport. 

Federal Investigators are on the scene along with West Goshen Township police.  Authorities have confirmed that the pilot and a passenger, both males, are dead. According to local authorities, the plane sputtered in the air before losing control and crashing down. The cause is not yet clear.

"I didn't see anything but I did hear a bang earlier-- I guess when it happened. I looked up and I saw a pick-up truck coming up this road and then I saw three people get out and run into that yard--apparently a plane crash," a witness told FOX 29.

 FOX 29 reached out to the Brandywine Airport, West Goshen and Chester County officials; however, the identities of the victims have not yet been released.

The FAA is on the scene interviewing neighbors as part of the investigation.

This is a developing story, please stay with FOX 29 for updates.



FOX 29 News Philadelphia | WTXF-TV

 WEST GOSHEN TWP. -- Two people are dead after a small plane crashed in West Goshen Township. It happened around 1:40 p.m. on Sunday after the aircraft took off from the Brandywine Airport. 

According to the Federal Aviation Administration, it was a Piper PA-28 aircraft that crashed at the intersection of Saunders Lane and Andrew Drive. The FAA says the aircraft departed from the Brandywine Airport. 

Federal Investigators are on the scene along with West Goshen Township police.  Authorities have confirmed that the pilot and a passenger are dead. According to local authorities, the plane sputtered in the air before losing control and crashing down. The cause is not yet clear.

"I didn't see anything but I did hear a bang earlier-- I guess when it happened. I looked up and I saw a pick-up truck coming up this road and then I saw three people get out and run into that yard--apparently a plane crash," a witness told FOX 29.

 FOX 29 reached out to the Brandywine Airport, West Goshen and Chester County officials; however, the identities of the victims have not yet been released.

The FAA is on the scene interviewing neighbors as part of the investigation.

Two people were killed when a small plane plummeted to the ground near a suburban Philadelphia airport Sunday afternoon, police said.

The plane -- a Piper -- crashed into a wooded area near Saunders Lane and Andrews Drive in West Goshen, Chester County killing both people on board around 1:45 p.m., officials confirmed.

It had taken off a short time earlier from the Brandywine Airport, which is roughly two miles from the crash site, police said.

Witnesses on the ground heard the plane's engine stuttering moments after it was in the air and then the plane crashed and burst into flames, investigators said.

Fire crews rushed to the scene and extinguished the blaze. 

The identities of the victims have not been released and it's unknown at this time what caused the plane to crash.

Local authorities are investigating and the National Transportation and Safety Board is expected to take part in the probe.

Sources: 

http://www.myfoxphilly.com

http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com

http://6abc.com

http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com