Uncertified Flight Instructor Sentenced to Prison Following Fatal Crash

Philip Everton McPherson II received six and a half years behind bars for involuntary manslaughter.

Meg Godlewski

Tuesday, June 16, 2026 at 09:00 AM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

The Piper Cherokee that crashed September 28, 2022, in Pennsylvania was largely destroyed in a postcrash fire. [Credit: NTSB]

Key Takeaways:

Philip McPherson, a New Jersey flight instructor whose certificates were revoked for "lack of demonstrated competence," was sentenced to 6.5 years in prison for a fatal 2022 crash that killed his student.
McPherson continued to teach and fly passengers illegally after failing an FAA reexamination and his temporary certificate expired, pleading guilty to involuntary manslaughter and other charges, incurring significant fines, restitution, and a lifetime ban from aviation.
His illegal instruction invalidated over $100,000 in student flight hours, and the flight school owner was also implicated and pleaded guilty for knowingly allowing McPherson to instruct without a valid certificate.

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A New Jersey flight instructor involved in a fatal aircraft accident after he had his pilot certificates revoked for a “lack of demonstrated competence” has been sentenced to six and a half years in prison.

As previously reported by FLYING, 37-year-old Philip Everton McPherson II in 2025 pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and other charges stemming from a 2022 crash that killed a flight student. McPherson pleaded guilty to 43 of the 44 charges he faced in exchange for the U.S. government agreeing to withdraw one count of conspiracy to defraud the FAA. These counts stemmed from serving as an airman without a valid certificate.