Illegal CFI Faces Charge of Involuntary Manslaughter

Lapsed and noncertificated instructor crashed a Piper in 2022, killing the student aboard.

Meg Godlewski

Friday, August 09, 2024 at 01:00 PM ET

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Meg Godlewski

Philip Everton McPherson II faces one count of involuntary manslaughter for the crash of the Piper PA-28-140 on September 28, 2022, that killed student pilot Keith Kozel, 49. [AVweb]

Key Takeaways:

Philip Everton McPherson II faces involuntary manslaughter and 40 additional counts for operating as an airman without a certificate, stemming from a fatal plane crash that killed his student pilot, Keith Kozel.
McPherson's commercial and CFI certificates were surrendered to the FAA in October 2021 after he failed a reexamination ride, prompted by prior incidents of poor airmanship.
Despite his certificates being revoked and holding only a temporary certificate prohibiting him from carrying passengers, McPherson illegally continued to provide flight instruction for nearly a year until the fatal accident.
The fatal flight on September 28, 2022, involved a problematic takeoff where the aircraft struggled to gain airspeed and altitude before striking trees and catching fire.

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Have you checked your CFI’s credentials? How do you know they are legal to provide instruction?

This question is being asked at flight schools across the country as the CFI world and the nonaviation media are sharing the story of 36-year-old Philip Everton McPherson II, from Haddon Township, New Jersey. McPherson faces one count of involuntary manslaughter for the crash of the Piper PA-28-140 on September 28, 2022, that killed student pilot Keith Kozel, 49.