6 killed in a crash of a small plane in Ohio, officials say
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio — Four adults from a family heading out on vacation were killed along with their pilot and co-pilot when a small plane crashed minutes after taking off from an Ohio airport, officials said.
The twin-engine Cessna 441 turboprop crashed near Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport on Sunday morning, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
There were no survivors, Western Reserve Port Authority Executive Director Anthony Trevena said at a news conference. The agency owns the airport.
Agency records show the plane was registered to Meander Air LLC of Warren, Ohio.
Trumbull County Coroner Lawrence D’Amico on Monday identified the victims as the pilot, Joseph Maxin, 63; co-pilot Timothy Blake, 55; and passengers Veronica Weller, 68; her husband, Jim Weller Jr., 67; their son, John Weller, 36, and his wife, Maria Weller, 34. Blake and the passengers were all Hubbard residents, while Maxin lived in Canfield.
D’Amico said the family — which owns steel manufacturing plants in the Youngstown-Warren area — was heading for a vacation in Montana.
Jim Weller Jr. was dirt track racer and co-owned Sharon Speedway with his father, Jim Weller Sr., from 2002 to 24.
He won 36 Big Block Modified races at Sharon, according to the track, and was a two-time Big Block Modified track champion at Lernerville Speedway (1997, 1999). He won 34 races, ninth all-time, at Lernerville.
“The racing community is feeling the loss of Jim Weller, Jr., his wife Veronica, their son John, and his wife Maria. Weller Jr. is a Two-Time Track Champion and sits 9th all time in Modified Victories with 34,” a social media statement from Lernerville Speedway said.
“Please keep the Weller family in your thoughts and prayers during this very difficult time.”
Maxin was the port authority’s director of compliance and also a former assistant prosecutor for the Mahoning County Prosecutor’s Office. A statement issued by the authority called Maxin “a selfless public servant and pilot (who) dedicated his life to serving the Mahoning Valley.”
The plane crashed in heavy woods, making access to the site difficult, Howland Township Fire Chief Raymond Pace said.
“This is an extremely tragic situation, but it could have been worse,” Pace said, noting that there were three houses near where the plane crashed.
Publicly available flight tracking data showed that the plane’s destination was Bozeman, Mont., said Michael Hillman, president of 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 are investigating, but have not speculated on a possible cause. They have asked residents to contact them if they have surveillance video showing the crash or other information that may be relevant to the investigation.
