The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are investigating the cause of a tragic plane crash that left six people dead.
The crash occurred Sunday morning in Howland Township, about an hour east of Cleveland. The flight took off from Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport just before 7 a.m., en route to Bozeman, Montana.
On board were two crew members and four passengers. Just seven minutes after takeoff, the Cessna 441 twin-engine plane crashed into a wooded area behind homes approximately two miles from the runway, near Kings Graves and Hen Hyde Roads.
The remote location made the emergency response challenging, forcing officials to close off the area, but neighbors noticed something unusual happening nearby.
“The electricity had gone out, and it came back on again. There was a big puff of smoke a big puff of smoke and I thought it was a house fire because the three firefighters went running to the house,” said Rebecca Herman, a neighbor in the area.
Authorities confirmed that there were no survivors. The victims' bodies were recovered and transported to the coroner’s office.
On Monday, the Trumbull County Coroner identified the victims in the crash as the pilot, Joseph Maxin, 63; co-pilot Timothy Blake, 55; and passengers Veronica Weller, 68; her husband, James Weller, 67; their son, John Weller, 36, and his wife, Maria Weller, 34.
According to the Mahoning County Prosecutor's Office, Maxin was a former assistant prosecutor. Maxin worked at the office on and off from 1990 to 2017 before pursuing his dream of working in aviation.
"He 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," the prosecutor's office said in a statement. "Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences go out to Joseph Maxin’s family, friends, and all those mourning his loss. He will be deeply missed by the Mahoning County Prosecutor’s Office and the many people whose lives he touched throughout his career."
Anthony Trevena, Executive Director of the Western Reserve Port Authority, said, "I can't think of better people, and so our community is at a great loss and these were really wonderful people. It's a very tight-knit community so all those in the aviation community have reached out and and you know these are really important people to us, so we're grateful for the support of our community."
The FAA and NTSB are now leading the investigation into the cause of the deadly crash.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
