A flight instructor has been charged with involuntary manslaughter in a 2022 plane crash in Lehigh County that killed an Easton student pilot, and prosecutors say he had previously surrendered his pilot’s certificate after two prior crashes.
Philip Everton McPherson II, 36, of Haddon Township, New Jersey, was in command of the single-engine Piper PA-28 when it left Queen City Airport in Allentown with the student Sept. 28, 2022, according to the indictment.
The plane crashed and caught fire a short time later in a yard on Keystone Road in Salisbury Township, near the Little Lehigh Creek. The crash killed Keith B. Kozel, 49, according to the Lehigh County coroner’s office. Kozel died from multiple injuries, and the coroner ruled the death accidental. McPherson was seriously injured in the crash.
McPherson told the National Transportation Safety Board that he took control of the plane from Kozel just after takeoff, when they encountered engine problems, according to an .
However, federal prosecutors say McPherson knew he was not competent to fly the plane for several reasons. First, he had twice been instructing students at Central Jersey Regional Airport in New Jersey when their plane veered off the runway during attempted landings, causing substantial damage in incidents prosecutors described as crashes.
He then failed a certification exam and surrendered his pilot’s license in October 2021. He is also charged with 40 counts of illegally flying with passengers despite not having a pilot’s certificate after that date.
McPherson pleaded not guilty to the charges and was released on bail, court records show. The charges carry a maximum potential sentence of 128 years in prison. His lawyer, public defender Jonathan McDonald, declined comment on the case.
The NTSB, which investigated the crash, released a final report in June. According to the report, Kozel reported the airplane was not performing as expected during takeoff and initial climb. McPherson took control of the plane from Kozel and was able to clear trees off the departure end of the runway, but the airplane would not continue climbing and the engine was “noticeably weak.”
The report also says Kozel maneuvered the plane, maintaining the best angle of “climb airspeed,” but was unable to find a suitable landing area before it hit trees and the ground.
No pre-impact anomalies were found with the plane and engine, according to the NTSB report. However, extensive fire damage prevented certain testing and examination of several airframe and engine components, according to the report.
The plane was owned by Nouman Saleem of ProFlite Aero Services, which has offices in Palmer Township. ProFlite typically flies out of Hackettstown Airport, according to information from Saleem, who has also said his company sometimes uses Queen City.
Report reveals cause of 2022 Lehigh Valley plane crash that killed student pilot
