25-05-2025
One dead, one injured in Harpersfield plane crash
HARPERSFIELD TOWNSHIP — A plane crash about a half mile east of the Whispering Willow Mobile Home Community killed one person and injured a second Sunday morning, said Ohio State Patrol Lt. Tim Grimm, who commands the Saybrook OHP Post.
Grimm said preliminary investigation indicates the plane had taken off from Germak Airport and had trouble gaining altitude over Route 307, narrowly missing a utility pole and striking a tree, coming down about 50 feet south of Route 307 in a grassy area.
"There were two males on board, one of them is deceased and the other was transported to the hospital for treatment of burns," Grimm said. He said he was not sure what hospital the man was taken to for treatment.
The incident was called in at 10:11 a.m. Grimm said the Ashtabula County Sheriff's Department was first on the scene, and found one man out of the aircraft, then the pilot was pulled from the wreckage.
Harpersfield Fire Chief Frank Henry said two fire trucks were sent to the scene from his department, and another from Geneva. He said they were able to put out a small fire and assisted in getting the victims to two ambulances.
He said the ambulances were from Northwest Ambulance District, and the man suffering from burns was taken to UH Geneva Medical Center.
The pilot was declared dead at the scene, Grimm said. Investigators from the Ashtabula County Coroner's Office were on-scene around 11:30 a.m., as the investigation continued with one lane of traffic allowed on the road.
Grimm said the OHP reconstruction team was called to the scene, and an OHP aerial team was able to photograph the area from the air.
He said the plane was a 2007 Zenith 701, and was in pieces under a tree on the side of the road.
Ashtabula County Sheriff William Niemi said one of his units arrived on-scene and found a man walking outside the plane.
"They weren't too far away, and the troopers arrived soon thereafter," he said.
