Overview
- Flight instructor Niles Tilenius, 22, and student pilot William Johnston, 21, were killed when a small aircraft crashed near Erie Municipal Airport on Oct. 19.
- A preliminary NTSB account says the plane was on its fifth touch-and-go before it suddenly went nose-first and tumbled, and the aircraft’s parachute system was not deployed.
- The NTSB and FAA are conducting a joint investigation that has not determined a probable cause.
- Tilenius’ family has suggested sudden wind shear as a likely factor, a claim that remains unconfirmed by investigators.
- Tilenius had recently been accepted into United’s Aviate program and was set to begin training with GoJet Airlines in November, according to his obituary.