Six people killed as small plane crashes minutes after takeoff in Ohio
Six people were killed when a small plane crashed minutes after taking off from an Ohio airport, officials said.
The Cessna 441 with six people on board crashed near Youngstown-Warren regional airport on Sunday morning, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. Authorities remained on the scene on Monday.
There were no survivors, Anthony Trevena, the executive director of Western Reserve Port Authority, said at a news conference. The victims were taken to the Trumbull county coroner's office, Trevena said, but he did not release their names.
It was difficult to get to the site of the crash, the Howland Township fire chief, Raymond Pace, said.
'We're very fortunate. This is a extremely tragic situation, but it could have been worse,' Pace said, noting that there were three houses near the spot where the plane crashed.
Publicly available flight tracking data showed that the plane's destination was Bozeman, Montana, said Michael Hillman, president of the aviation company JETS FBO Network.
'These were the best of the best in terms of the folks here at the field, as well as the pilots. I can't say enough about them,' Hillman said at the news conference. 'I'd give anything to rewind the day and take them to breakfast instead.'
The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate and the NSTB will lead the investigation.
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The Guardian
10 hours ago
- The Guardian
Six people killed as small plane crashes minutes after takeoff in Ohio
Six people were killed when a small plane crashed minutes after taking off from an Ohio airport, officials said. The Cessna 441 with six people on board crashed near Youngstown-Warren regional airport on Sunday morning, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. Authorities remained on the scene on Monday. There were no survivors, Anthony Trevena, the executive director of Western Reserve Port Authority, said at a news conference. The victims were taken to the Trumbull county coroner's office, Trevena said, but he did not release their names. It was difficult to get to the site of the crash, the Howland Township fire chief, Raymond Pace, said. 'We're very fortunate. This is a extremely tragic situation, but it could have been worse,' Pace said, noting that there were three houses near the spot where the plane crashed. Publicly available flight tracking data showed that the plane's destination was Bozeman, Montana, said Michael Hillman, president of the aviation company JETS FBO Network. 'These were the best of the best in terms of the folks here at the field, as well as the pilots. I can't say enough about them,' Hillman said at the news conference. 'I'd give anything to rewind the day and take them to breakfast instead.' The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate and the NSTB will lead the investigation.
Daily Mail
11 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Wealthy steel tycoon and his family killed in horror plane crash
An Ohio steel tycoon and his family were tragically killed in a small plane crash over the weekend. James 'Jim' Weller, 67, the owner of Liberty Steel Industries Inc; his wife Veronica Weller, 68; their son, John Weller, 36; and daughter-in-law Maria Weller, 34, were heading on vacation to Bozeman, Montana when the twin-engine Cessna they were traveling on suddenly went down, WFMJ reports. The family took off from Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport at 6.53am on Sunday, and crashed less than seven minutes later, landing in the backyard of a home just two miles west of the airport. In addition to the Wellers, the crash took the lives of Pilot Joseph Maxin, 63, and co-pilot Timothy Blake, 55. First responders initially faced difficulty reaching the crash site due to the dense woods, but were eventually able to recover the bodies of all six people onboard. 'This is an extremely tragic situation, but it could have been worse,' Howland Fire Chief Ray Pace said at a news conference on Sunday, noting that the plane crashed in a residential neighborhood. The sound of the collision woke resident Rachel Flowers, she told Cleveland 19. 'I thought there was a storm and then two more pops of thunder-like sound,' Flowers recounted. When she and other neighbors then went to check on what happened, they were met with the sound of sirens, flashing lights and billowing smoke. Joe Nuskievicz also told WKBN how he, 'noticed the sound of an airplane in the distance, that the engine didn't sound right. 'It sounded very underpowered - just like it didn't sound like it had enough power to be able to really go, and I noticed that I didn't see it. It was below the tree lines,' he said. Moments later, Nuskievicz said he 'heard a loud crash, a horrible crash'. 'I could hear trees cracking, you know, heavy impact and I knew that it crashed but I couldn't see it.' At that point, he said he told his wife they needed to go see if they could find any survivors and called 911. When Nuskievicz then reached the crash site, he said he yelled to see if any survivors would respond as first responders arrived on the scene. 'It was scary,' he admitted. 'First, my heart just hurt, you know, knowing that there probably was not going to be any survivors and you know, when you live around an airport, you always have a concern. 'We have planes coming in daily and some of them are barely clearing the treetops here,' Nuskievicz noted. Firefighters from multiple jurisdictions then descended on the scene and were able to quickly put out a growing blaze cause by the crash. They were then able to transport the bodies to the Trumbull County Coroner for identification. Once the victims' identities were released on Monday, community members came together to share their condolences. 'The Weller family's contributions in the steel industry are part of the region's proud industrial history and helped shape the economic fabric of the Valley for generations,' the Youngstown-Warren Regional Chamber of Commerce said in a statement. 'Their loss is immeasurable, both personally and professionally, and their absence will be profoundly felt across the Valley.' The Weller family has been associated with the steel industry for 60 years, according to The Business Journal. Jim Weller Sr., who died in January at the age of 94, cofounded Liberty Steel Products in 1965 with his father, Andrew, and brother, Jack, in Sharpsville, Pennsylvania. The company eventually moved to North Jackson, Ohio, where it processes and distributes carbon flat-rolled steel. By 2015, the family formed Liberty Steel Industries Inc, which operates steel processing, welding, fabrication and stamping plants in Warren, Ohio and Saltillo, Mexico. They also operate a distribution center in Lordstown, Ohio. Outside of the steel business, the Wellers were known for their love of racing. Jim Weller Sr. once co-owned the Sharon Speedway and the Wellers' other son, Jimmy, is a professional race car driver. He was not on the plane with his parents, brother and sister-in-law. 'We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of Jim Weller, Jr., his wife Veronica, along with their son John and his wife Maria on Sunday,' the Speedway wrote on X. 'Jim won 36 times in the Big-Block Modified division at Sharon Speedway and was a two-time track champion. His late father Jim Weller, Sr. co-owned Sharon Speedway from 2002-2024. Please keep the Weller Family in your thoughts and prayers as they navigate this difficult time.' The Ryan Blaney Family Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to providing resources for people and families that are dealing with Alzheimer's disease or concussion diagnosis, also shared its condolences. 'We are deeply saddened by the passing of our dear friends, James, Veronica, John and Maria Weller. Their kindness and warmth will be greatly missed,' it wrote on Facebook. Community members also came together to remember pilot Joseph Maxin, who previously worked as an assistant prosecutor for the Mahoning County Prosecutors Office and was serving as the Western Reserve Port Authority's director of compliance at his death. The Port Authority owns the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport, from where the Cessna took off. 'These were the best of the best in terms of the folks here at the field as well as the pilots, and can't say enough about them and give anything to rewind the day and take them to breakfast instead,' aviation expert Mike Hillman said. The Western Reserve Port Authority also released a statement calling Maxin, 'a selfless public servant and pilot' who 'dedicated his life to serving the Mahoning Valley. 'From his work in the Mahoning County Prosecutors Office to the instrumental role of launching the flight school in collaboration with Youngstown State University, he was committed to educating the next generation of aviation professionals.' The Mahoning County Prosecutors Office added that Maxin was, 'not only a skilled attorney, but also a beloved friend and colleague known for his kindness, good nature and one-of-a-kind humorous personality.' Youngstown State University offered its own condolences, saying it is 'especially grieving alongside the Weller family, whose longstanding legacy and support have meant so much to YSU over the years and we mourn the loss of the two pilots who were scheduled to join YSU's aviation program as instructors.' The cause of the plane crash remains unclear, and the Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are now investigating the incident. They will examine the pilot, the aircraft and the operating equipment in an effort to determine what may have led to the tragic collision.
Metro
14 hours ago
- Metro
Six people dead after plane crashes shortly after takeoff
A small plane crashed shortly after taking off from an Ohio airport, killing all six people on board. The twin-engine Cessna 441 crashed in a wooded area of Howland Township near Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport just before 7am on Sunday, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). It was carrying two pilots and a family of four, who owned steel manufacturing plants in the area and were going to vacation in Montana. The victims have been identified as pilot Joseph Maxin, 63; co-pilot Timothy Blake, 55; and passengers James Weller, 67; his wife Veronica Weller, 68; their son, John Weller, 36; and his wife, Maria Weller, 34. 'I can't think of better people, and so our community is at a great loss, and there were really wonderful people,' said Anthony Travena, executive director of the Western Reserve Port Authority, during a press conference. 'It's a very tight-knit community. So, all those in the aviation community have reached out, and these are really important people to us.' The pilots were highly regarded in the small community about 75 miles southeast of Cleveland. 'These were the best of the best in terms of the folks here at the field, as well as the pilots. I can't say enough about them,' said Michael Hillman, who is president of the JETS FBO Network aviation company. 'I'd give anything to rewind the day and take them to breakfast instead.' The plane, which was bound for Bozeman, crashed near three houses. More Trending 'This is an extremely tragic situation, but it could have been worse,' said Howland Township Fire Chief Raymond Pace. The National Transportation Safety Board and the FAA are investigating the crash. It happened 10 days after a Mooney M20 with two men aboard crashed near a regional airport close to Boston, killing one of them. On Sunday, a catering minivan also crashed into a parked American Eagle jet at Boston Logan International Airport and was damaged and pinned under the aircraft. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Man dies after getting stuck in cereal plant oven MORE: Father jumps into sea to save daughter who fell from Disney cruise ship MORE: Grieving mother sues funeral home after son's body shown 'covered with maggots'
