Friday, May 27, 2022

Aeronca 7AC Champion: Accident occurred May 27, 2022 near Rostraver Airport (KFWQ), Belle Vernon, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania




A small plane that left Rostraver Airport early Friday evening crashed in a wooded section of Elizabeth Township, officials said.

The plane was enroute to the Finleyville Airport in northern Washington County, said Gabe Monzo, executive director of the Westmoreland County Airport Authority, which operates Rostraver Airport. The airport is less than a mile from Elizabeth Township.

The crash was reported in a wooded area along Skillet Hill Road, off Route 136, around 6:52 p.m., Westmoreland County Department of Public Safety supervisor said.

Firefighters from the Rostraver Central, Suterville and Collinsburg fire departments were dispatched to the scene to assist in the rescue, a fire department spokeswoman said.

Bob Usnick, manager of the Finleyville Airport, could not be reached for comment.





The pilot of a small airplane was hospitalized with multiple injuries Friday after his aircraft crashed into a heavily wooded area in Elizabeth Township, witnesses and emergency management officials said.

The pilot’s identity was not immediately released, and his destination was unclear, but the plane came down less than a mile from the Rostraver Airport in Belle Vernon.

Logan Persichetti and his father, Robert, were attending a wedding rehearsal about 6:30 p.m. when they noticed a small, yellow plane flying low in the area. They said it suddenly arced upward before it abruptly changed course and went straight down into the woods.

They heard a thud and hiked to the crash scene, where they found the man trapped in the airplane. They said they kept him talking until medics arrived.

An Elizabeth Township fire department official said the man was freed from the wreckage, transported out of the woods in an off-road vehicle, then taken by ambulance to a hospital.

8 comments:

  1. in conclusion: "flying low ... suddenly arced upward ... abruptly changed course ... went straight down"

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  2. boy I hope he pulls through and doesn't have too many serious injuries... the plane is banged up pretty bad. This is in my area so I just read about it on my local news. From my couch, it sounds like he had engine failure on take-off and possibly attempted 'The Impossible Turn' and stalled. Thoughts out to the pilot to get better soon.

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  3. He crashed on the crosswind leg of runway 8 @ KFWQ, while executing touch and go's. I am a local pilot...know both the plane and the injured pilot.

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  4. Glad the Persichetti's were willing to hike out and find the pilot, they likely saved his life at the time. If you witness an accident, call 911, scan the scene, and provide aid if possible. Hope the pilot pulls through

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    1. I agree. Don't do like this couple did in the CompAir crash on May 08, 2022. They flew right over the accident site minutes after the crash and determined they couldn't do anything and continued on to their Mother's Day celebration. Apparently, didn't even call 911. Pilot stated He drove to the accident site several days later and everything was cleaned up. What a total disregard for another Human's life/s. I hope they had a glorious Mother's Day celebration. I could say much more but....

      http://www.kathrynsreport.com/2022/05/comp-air-8-ss52-n801dt-fatal-accident.html

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    2. Anyone who wasn't on scene should consider that the preliminary report on the CompAir stated that the only portions of that airplane that were relatively intact were the vertical stabilizer and rudder.

      Seeing a plane fly low and hearing the thud would have changed the decision you are criticizing for the CompAir crash. No need to be dense about the differences.

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    3. Not much was left in the Sioux City crash either.

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